<p>I know it's a bit premature, but I just received my score for the June SAT and already began finalizing my decision on whether to retake it or not. The first time I took the SAT in March, I was under-prepared and got a CR 710 M 690 W 690. When I re-took it last month, I was under-prepared and turned out a CR 720 M 730 W 780. I never planned to do so well in math, but had hoped (maybe unrealistically) for my critical reading to have a drastic improvement. So while I'm pretty happy with my score, especially considering my lack of any studying or prep, I can't feel but think that I can get that reading score higher.</p>
<p>I'm applying to colleges where my grades would probably be considered average. They're relatively high, but my math and science grades have always hovered in the 80's so I know my SAT has to be impressive to be considered at top schools. Now I'm trying to figure out if this score is impressive enough and whether or not it could even be further improved. Should I risk going down in any of my sections (especially math cause I have no idea how this happened) for hopes of breaking 2300 in October, or should I consider myself lucky for the score I've got and just leave it alone?</p>
<p>Honestly though, looking at the stats it seems most people don’t go up more than forty points from junior to senior year so it’s probably useless.</p>
<p>Dude 2200+ isn’t bad at all. Here’s how I see it, you just need to improve your math and CR. You’re set for writing because when they superscore, you’ll get that 780. Math is REALLY easy to improve especially if you have all summer. If you retake and score near perfect on math with an improvement in CR, you could superscore above 2300</p>
<p>Typically my English skills are a lot stronger than my math and I’m honestly shocked about my math score, so thinking about getting near perfect for math isn’t something I can yet comprehend. Although, I believe that it can’t be that difficult considering my surprising and seemingly unmerited forty point jump.</p>
<p>Do colleges prefer that you send scores from one sitting vs super-score?</p>
<p>Excellent test scores will not over come mediocre grades. To be competitive for top schools, you need to be at minimum top 10%. It is best when your scores and grades are in sync. Ranking is more important than GPA because you will be compared with students from your high school.</p>
<p>^ That is definitely true, only I never said my grades were mediocre. I go to a top 100 school that doesn’t rank and weighs all of its classes as honors classes without providing colleges with an unweighted average, so my grades end up probably at the low range of students accepted to the schools I’m looking at (Northwesternnnn).</p>
<p>Does your school have Naviance? It would be the best indicator. My kids also went to a school which didn’t rank, but it had a very informative school profile.</p>
<p>I don’t believe they would have access to your school’s Naviance. But if your school is well known, they adcoms would have very good idea how you are relative to students from your school and region.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for me that region is NYC, which tends to breed many over achievers. Only thirty or so kids have applied to Northwestern from my school so I suppose I can hope they are not as familiar.</p>
<p>Your scores are within range for NU. I wouldn’t take it for the 3rd time. I would focus more on your essays and grades senior year. fYI - NU cares about interest. If you haven’t done so already, try to visit and make sure they know about it. If your financial situation allows you to apply ED, that’s what I would do.</p>
<p>:) I know, I’m visiting in two weeks and applying early not so much because my financial situation allows it but because my EFC is so low I don’t think my aid will be compromised.</p>