Hi Guys!
So I’m a senior right now and I just took the SAT for the first time in August. The scores came out today and I got a 780/790 r/W composite. I was really hoping I could get an 800 math because I would love to go to a top tier school (MIT, Stanny, UCB, Caltech) for computer science and I somehow feel that my 790 seems inadequate compared to the number of students that get 800 on the math. The only downside is that I don’t know if my 780 R is reproducable and I could be risking a <1570 score on my 2nd try.
I don’t have anything golden on my ECs (no gold medal at IMO, IBO, IChO, IOI, etc) although I do have a published research paper (not in my intended major) and some science/math team stuff.
The deadline to sign up for the Oct SAT is today and I was just wondering about your guy’s thoughts as to whether I should retake or not. (Also, on the essay I got a 5/6/7 so Idk if I should retake that too).
Thanks for your feedback! 
I stopped reading at 780/790.
No, there is no reason to retake. If you get rejected with those scores, I’m of the opinion that you would have been rejected with 800/800 or 780/800. Consider yourself done, and spend the time polishing your essays and, if not yet taken, getting an 800 on the M2 Subject Test. Good luck.
Don’t worry at all. Everyone knows that for talented math students, the SATM is merely a test of conscientiousness, and not even a very good one at that. No one at MIT or CalTech will think anything about a single careless error.
Now, my advice is to make sure you get an 800 on Math level 2. That is also an easy test for top STEM students but the curve is gentle enough that a careless error or two won’t hurt you (you can usually get 4 or 5 wrong and still get an 800).
Congrats on your SAT scores - you’re done. Time to move on to other parts of the application.
You can recycle your SAT prep books if you have any. Congratulations.
Do Subject Math II if you have not taken it yet.
Don’t retake. There’s literally no possible benefit. Congrats and well done!