<p>I am a junior in a fairly competitive high school just completing a year in which I took 5 AP classes. I am ranked in the top 3% of my grade (possibly number 1? unknown) and have a weighted GPA of 103 out of 100%. I am loaded with extracurriculars (band, track (captain), football, Student to Student Mentoring officer, student body president, job, volunteering etc.). </p>
<p>Here is the question. This past March I took SAT I and received a 1520/2310 (CR 800, M 720, W 790). I was initially quite satisfied and pleased with this score (since my goal had been around a 2250 for the first try), however I am having second thoughts now. Should I retake this SAT and possibly reap superscoring benefits or is it respectable as it is?</p>
<p>I am taking SAT IIs tomorrow (Lit, Physics, U.S. History). I received a 720 on Math Level 2 last June.</p>
<p>I plan to apply to U of Chicago, Brown, Yale, UVA, Columbia, UPenn et al. Will this score cut it? Note: I am not going into anything math-related as it stands now. I am not a major math fan. </p>
<p>that score is excellent. will not hurt your chances; after that point, other factors just matter more than scores. do not retake it - find something more interesting, productive, fun, instructive to do with that Saturday :-). good luck!</p>
<p>I would retake if you think you can up the math score simply because that score is low for top school. I wouldn’t retake if the writing was a 720.</p>
<p>Oh you have to retake the SAT I…2310 is awful! After all, every college in the world judges you based on your one test score. An admissions officer can determine your personality and passions by one single score. When they see your 2310 they’re gonna reject you right from the start. “Oh look a weak 2310…REJECTED”</p>
<p>jman, I would encourage you to review the common data sets for top colleges. There is indeed a huge admissions rate difference between candidates with a 2300 and those with a 2400. And when 790 points out of 2310 is tied up in a writing score many schools care little about…well, you do the math.</p>
<p>You can buy into the myth of holistic admission all you want, but the data tells a different story…SATs matter!! Amazing how much personality and passion HYP is able to identify in candidates that also have stats above their 75th percentile-those without benefit of legacy, money or sport!!!</p>
<p>You’re a HS freshman so I understand the cold, hard facts haven’t hit you yet.</p>
<p>SATs matter, but once you’re in the mid-50 or above, you’re pretty much the same as everyone else…except for personal factors. Those are what get the MOST people in. Very few kids can get in on academics alone, and those are the 2400, 5s on every single AP, A+ in every class ever, Intel winner, Siemens winner, published authors etc.</p>
<p>I know two people who have gotten into Yale EA within the past two years with 2310s. Neither is an athlete, URM, or has won any sort of science award (they’re humanities people, and no, they haven’t published novels). Relax.</p>
<p>Anecdotal evidence is always interesting, but it’s not reliable. I know 2 people who got into Harvard with sub 2100 SATs, but the common data set shows they were exceptions, and indeed they were amazing athletes.</p>
<p>Read the numbers folks! This particular SAT when writing is taken out will not make this candidate strong at any ivy! </p>
<p>When the situation is analyzed, there is only one answer: for admission at top schools this candidate would benefit greatly by improving the math score!!!</p>
<p>i agree with NewEngSoc, the scores matter - but only up to a certain point. don’t worry about it. if you want to listen to newyorka and improve your math score, go ahead. but if you don’t get into those schools you mentioned, it will NOT be because of your SAT.</p>
<p>To Newyorka: you have no idea what you are talking about. A 1520/1600 without the writing is an amazing score for all ivies. </p>
<p>My friend’s sister, who is an affluent white girl, got into Stanford with a 1510/1600. She had no hooks. She only played lacrosse and did stage crew and she wasn’t even a recruited athlete. Nothing else. No internships, no instrument, no volunteer work. Nothing. </p>
<p>A 1520 is not going to keep anyone out of an ivy. I think you’ve bought into the myth that one has to be near perfect to get accepted even though there are plenty of people with around a 2200 who get accepted while plenty of perfect scorers get rejected. </p>
<p>I read somewhere that people who do really well their first time are less likely to improve significantly the second time.</p>
<p>Personally, I think you’re better off just being proud of the score you have, and focus energy into other aspects of the application that colleges are starting to look at even more than SAT scores sometimes.</p>
<p>Also, if you’re not even that interested in math, a 720 is fine. Plus, UChicago, one of the schools on your list, is really not grade focused I think. Anyway, 2310 is really awesome. Just keep it. Like I said, whatever you can do that is MORE worthwhile than take an SAT on that Saturday is going to be better than taking the SAT again. Both of my friends who are going to Harvard next year had sub-2300 scores, though I think one of them had around a 2310 after superscoring.</p>
<p>Why are there so many opinions and so few facts on this board? I worked with one of the top college counselors in the Country, a former ivy admissions officer. The first thing she showed me were the ivy common data sets. Read them folks, and you will understand that the holistic garbage talk is just that-garbage. Sure, HYPS can afford to demand great everything on top of great stats, but as you go beyond there it’s all about the numbers baby. My counselor did not hesitate to tell me to retake to bring up my 730 math. We knew I could do better. I had a perfect CR score and a near perfect writing score but I retook the test. BTW, I wasn’t even aiming for HYPSM!!</p>
<p>In these uber cometitive years, a stron applicant with out a hook doesn’t have any stat at or below a school’s 50th percentile. Are there exceptions who get through? Sure! But they are exceptions!</p>