<p>I took two subject tests: Bio E- 780 and Math 2- 770. I told myself I wouldn't retake anything above a 750 for either test, but 770 math II is in the 75th percentile (yikes!) I plan to apply to Brown and Princeton, so I need some insight. I don't think i'll do engineering as a major, but should I retake math 2 to increase my chances of admission? Does it make a difference?</p>
<p>I would really rather not retake but if it makes a huge difference, I'll gear up and take it again. </p>
<p>In short, no you will be fine. It won’t make a significant amount of difference. The 75th percentile is still pretty impressive and is only because of the curve that many people get 800s but it is really not worth it to retake it for. Focus on other areas of your application such as essays, recommendations, ECs, and your course work which will help you much more in the long run.</p>
<p>I think, if you think you can get an 800, you should retake. </p>
<p>The difference between 770 and 800 is negligible. Focus on other areas.</p>
<p>no NEVER retake a score 700+ for a subject test</p>
<p>^Yes, but this is Math II, where the curve is like 90th percentile = 800. </p>
<p>@DigitalKing It doesn’t matter. That just means a lot of people do really really well. There is no reason to retake any subject test 700+ let alone 750+</p>
<p>Holy ■■■■ a 770 is 75th percentile!!! ■■■, I’m screwed. </p>
<p>It doesn’t matter. DO NOT I repeat DO NOT pay attention to the percentile. You need a 700+ and you’re good to go. 750+ is better, but you don’t need to retake to achieve it, let alone to exceed it.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether it is the math IC or math 2C, dont retake. Its fine.</p>
<p>I would retake Math II. When applying to top colleges you have to keep in mind that a VERY large portion of the applicant pool will have double or even triple 800’s in subject tests. Although 770 may look good, due to the weird curve it’s equivalent to a 600 in SAT Reasoning Math and a 690 in SAT Math Level 1. Yes, test scores aren’t everything, and if you think you have a strong application you don’t necessarily have to retake, but if you think you have the ability to 800 it,you should definitely consider a retake.</p>
<p>You can’t compare the percentiles for Math Reasoning, Math I, and Math II. No one who scores a 600 on for the SAT (provided it is not a fluke) is going to get a 770 on Math II, a substantially harder test that tests higher level concepts.</p>
<p>OP, this is a conversation that has never happened:
“Well, everything looks really great, I mean his SAT score is pretty high, lots of AP classes, and this essay is so insightful, I feel like he must really be an interesting person!”
“Not to mention those ECs, I can tell he really went above and beyo- wait. What is this? A 770? On Math II?”
“He must have mistaken us for Harvard Community College. Throw his application in the furnace.”</p>
<p>Don’t retake. Go do something fun. </p>
<p>@butterfreesnd They’re not directly comparable but that’s how the percentiles work out to be. When applying to Ivy’s it’s “bad” (In the sense that it’s not helpful for your chances) to get a 75th percentile in SAT Reasoning Math (600), just as it is “bad” to 75th percentile SAT Math II. Getting a 770 on Math II, assuming a standard curve, means either 8 wrong, 10 omits (84% or 80%), or something in between. </p>
<p>Getting an 800 means anywhere between 0 to 6 wrong or omitted. There is a big difference because getting anything but 800 means that the school knows how many you get wrong and can quantify your math skills as usually above average in math, while getting an 800 makes your math harder to quantify, you could be anywhere from a math god to barely hanging on with 6 wrong, and since they don’t know which, they will have to just assume you are very proficient in math. </p>
<p>@CaptJack you’re new here. IGNORE THE PERCENTILES! They don’t matter. What matters is the scaled score. I got a 760 on Math II with 4 questions wrong and none omitted i believe, which was 68% percentile. The percentile is low because so many people only get a couple questions wrong. You are completely erroneous in your assumptions and analysis! </p>
<p>Think of it this way: If 10k people take the exam and 500 people get a perfect score, 2k get only 1 wrong, and you get 2 wrong, you would be in the 75th percentile because there are 2.5k people above you! Would you say someone has a bad score if they only got 2 wrong? No</p>
<p>Sorry, but you’re just flat out wrong. That is not the standard curve. There is a reason why its a standardized scale. 700+ is very good, 750+ is stellar.</p>
<p>The people who take Math 2 SAT are a self-selected group. Only top universities require SAT 2s…and only people who are good at math and are aiming for a top university take SAT2’s. So while 770 may be a 75%…it is out of a very very select group.</p>
<p>Being new doesn’t make what I say any less valid.It’s nigh impossible to get 2 wrong in Math II and receive a 760 when the norm is 6 wrong for an 800. Percentiles do matter, because they are a quantitative measurement of how well you did. Think of it like inflation. When the Math II makes 800’s and 700’s so easy to obtain, 800’s and 700’s are worth less. Getting a 770 on any SAT section is good, because only 2% of test takers have a higher score. However, 770 on Math II means 28% of test takers have a higher score. Suddenly 770 doesn’t mean very much, because so many people have equal if not better.</p>
<p>Keep in mind OP is applying to Ivy’s where the majority of applicants will have double or triple 800’s in subjects. If OP wants to keep up with other Ivy applicant’s, he’ll shoot for an 800, which when he already has a 770, is definitely achievable. College admissions officers aren’t stupid and wont be blinded by a high scaled score. They won’t see a 770 and say “Oh dang, that guy is only 30 points from an 800!”. Admissions knows that 28 out of every 100 test takers received higher than a 770, and will judge accordingly. </p>
<p>Anyway, I’m just here to give my 2 cents, not get in an argument; in the end it’s OP’s decision, peace out guys.</p>
<p>@bopper and @guineagirl96 hit the nail on the head. Bopper in particular raises an excellent point, most people who take Math II are phenomenal at math, so they do well, skewing the curve. And as you pointed out yourself, the difference between someone with an 800 and a 770 could be as few as two questions. Two questions! That is not a significant difference, and not something a college would base an admissions decision on. It’s similar to how on the SAT once you get above a certain threshold, there is no longer a significant difference in your score. 2310 vs. 2360, it’s just so insubstantial, probably one or two questions, and colleges recognize that, and will hold it against you.
If you get an 800 on the Math II subject test you are proficient in math. If you get a 770 on the Math II subject test, you are proficient in math. End of story. </p>
<p>@CaptJack fine, I won’t argue with you anymore. But you’ll notice, no one has agreed with your point… The only thing I will add is percentile != percent correct (NOT EQUAL)</p>
<p>And yes, I’m sorry, being new has nothing to do with it. I should not have said that. </p>
<p>Gosh, I didn’t know this would be a topic of such contention. From the above statistics, I’m gathering that, at the least, the difference between a 770 and 800 is the matter of two questions. </p>
<p>Everybody has good points. I’ll see if my SAT matches my goal score. If it does, I’ll retake math II in the fall. If not, I think I’ll be okay with a 770. </p>
<p>Thanks for everybody’s input. </p>
<p>@humbugs i would take an additional subject test, rather than retaking a good score, but it’s your choice in the end. The reason people say don’t take the SAT more than 3 times is because you don’t want to look score obsessed. The same thing applies with subject tests, except it’s more than once, unless the first score was bad (<600 is how i personally define it- some may define it differently, especially for competitive schools).</p>
<p>But good luck on the SATs and in your college admissions! May the lottery be ever in your favor.</p>