I’m 17 and I’m a senior in high school. I studied quite hard for the SAT but I got a really really disappointing score.
Reading: 540
Math: 680
Writing: 580
Total: 1800
This is really really disappointing for me. I’m an international student and I understand that if I want to be accepted into a good university, I need to have an SAT score of at least 2200. What are my chances of achieving it the second time? Any tips on how to prepare for the SAT?
Also, I’ve heard that universities will only look at your first 3 SAT scores. If you take the test multiple times, they won’t consider your best score as a competent one. Is this true?
That’s not true, there are many schools where an SAT of 1800 is in the middle range, and if you’ve never studied for the SAT or PSAT, that score is actually pretty understandable.
For the schools you probably want to go to, and since you’re an international, you really do need to get that score up (but do NOT be down on yourself). Do you have access to SAT Practice Books? That’s the easiest way to study.
What do you call a “good university”?
Keeping in mind that there are 3,700 universities in the US, any college ranked in the top 370 by The Princeton Review’s Best Colleges would be good.
Of course, Top 25 research universities and LACs would be elite and have very strict requirements, with low odds for all applicants, even the most qualified.
Will you need financial aid and what is your parents’ budget? (This is the key question for internationals).
1800 is actually quite good; 80% test takers get less than that, and most of thoee are Americans who are native speakers and have taken standardized tests their whole life.
However, if you need a university to invest tends of thousands of dollars in your education, you can understand it’s not sufficient.
To improve:
read serious newspapers or magazines in English (The NYT, The WSJ, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Time)
read non fiction books (like The immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The Signal and the Noise, I am Malala…)
read every day!
register for question of the day
practice with Khan Academy, number2 dot org
perhaps to get a taste of what you’re supposed to do, get a prep book (Kaplan’s, Up your score, Princeton Review…)
practice with a book of real tests (like “the blue book” or “the red book”) issued by, respectively, College Board and ACT company.
@muffyluffy - don’t listen to @rednecktiger. 1800 isn’t horrible at all. You just can’t get into the top colleges in the country… The VAST MAJORITY of colleges and universities in the US will admit you. University of Arizona’s 25-75% range is 1463-1820, so you are bumping up against their 75%. My alma mater of Ohio Wesleyan University has a range of 1480-1860, and it is currently ranked as the 99th best national liberal arts college in the country (yes, rankings don’t mean much, but clearly there are thousands of universities in the US, and if you could EASILY get admitted to a ranked National Liberal Arts college; one that’s not hard to get into these days by the way), then the world is your oyster pretty much.
Again, don’t apply to Ivies or Stanford or any of the very top elite colleges, but that leaves you with TONS of choices, and tons of excellent universities from which you can get a first-rate education. Not everyone goes to Harvard.
Hey - your SAT scores are actually good for a lot of universities in the US. If you are worried, just keep studying or get a tutor that can help you with the SAT questions.
Your scores are not really bad, you can get accepted to a lot of universities, even if they’re not ivy leagues. It’s not where you go to school that matters, it’s what you make of it. And keep in mind that SATs are not ALL that colleges look at. Your gpa, extracurricular activities, essays, recommendation letters etc. are also really important. But since you want to get a higher score, you could try practicing from SAT books and doing a few questions every day. That’s what helped me.
Okay, too many people on this thread are missing the point that this is an international student. The only schools that give good financial aid to international students are the top schools, which is very likely why this student is aiming for one. Of course there are tons of colleges that will accept a student with these scores, but being able to afford it is the problem. OP, please clarify your financial situation.
Thank you everyone for your reply, I really appreciate it. I’m from Singapore, and I’m, yes, a senior. In Singapore we start our school year in Jan and end in november. I’m taking my A levels (sth like the SAT, but it’s more inclined towards the British system) So, I will be attending university next year fall. Yes, it is my first attempt for the SAT. I also want to know how many times should I take the SAT? I’ve heard that its good to only take a maximum of 3 times. And most universities dont take the best score, they still judge you based on your first score. I’m not aiming for the Ivies or Stanford or UC berkeley. I’m not an outstanding student so I’m looking into Universities like UMA and UVA or any private university that is on par or slighlty lower ranked. My parents can afford for my tuition fees but it is also hard for them to do so. We are not really rich and I really would like some financial aid.
Yes I’m and international student so Im aware of the need to pull off a good sat score (at least 2000). I had done some practice books. Also, what are the things markers look out for in your essay? Any tips on how to ace the essay?
So, you’re applying for Fall 2016?
That gives you enough time to improve.
You can take the SAT as often as you’d like, but, yes, universities frown on your taking the test more than 3 times. They may be a bit lenient with internationals and allow for a 4th time. Not all universities superscore but those that say they do… do. The first score is never the best one and thus has little weight.
In the essay, markers want to see connectors (however, nevertheless, in addition…), lots of examples (from literature, history, current events, the sciences…), an introduction that states your position, and at least 5 paragraphs.
UVA is very hard to get into, too.
UMass is a fine university, but there’s no financial aid for internationals, unless you get into Commonwealth Honors College and get a merit scholarship (which would be small compared to the total). Check out National Universities ranked 30 to 50 and LACs ranked 25 to 75, plus regional universities ranked 1-10 or so: those would all be in the top 5-10% of all colleges in the US.
UAlabama has an excellent Honors College with guaranteed admission to Honors, Honors Dorm, and full tuition scholarship if you score 2100 in one sitting.
I would say that you should look into the top 75 or so National universities and perhaps the top 50 or so Liberal Arts Colleges. (LACs may look small but many are great schools) UVA will be tough with those stats given that is a top 25 national university. UMA, which I’m guessing is guessing UMass Amherst, is in the top 70 or so National Universities and your SAT would be acceptable attend depending on your major. UMass is quite tough for Computer Science, engineering and business majors. (2000+ SAT for Business and CS and 2100+ for Engineering) Other areas you only need a 1800+ SAT to have a good shot at getting admitted. Lastly, try taking the SAT again and make sure to get some sleep before taking it! (a lot of people study the night before) Best of Luck!
PS- Math and Critical reading are much more important than writing on the SAT. Many colleges including UMass only look at (M+R) so get a 1300+ on that and more top schools will open up.