<p>Son got a 2330 (cr 770, wr 760, math 800). He is an IB student, and his ranking is in about top 3 percent in a very competitive public high school.ECs and leadership positions are not so great. In addition, he got four 780's in sat2.
Does he need to retake satI to try for a perfect score to boost his chances for top colleges?</p>
<p>I wouldn't bcos I don't beleive a higher score will help for top college. IMO, a high score won't get you in, but a low score can keep you out.</p>
<p>Check out the other thread on cc dealing with high scoring kids who are rejected by even some publics.</p>
<p>In general, I am well known on CC for passing on what I have heard from college admission officers, that they consider your child's best scores in the case of retakes. </p>
<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showpost.php?p=4198038&postcount=1%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showpost.php?p=4198038&postcount=1</a> </p>
<p>BUT, the case you ask about is a case in which the student already has a score essentially indistinguishable from a "perfect" score. (A score of 2330 and a score of 2400 are both scores in the 99+th percentile, nationally, </p>
<p>and the difference between them is just a few questions among the item content on the whole test.) </p>
<p>So I would look at the thread, "How</a> do top scorers on tests fail to gain admission to top schools?" and suggest that your child think about all the other worthwhile things he can do to get ready for college, any of which I think would have more impact for increasing his chances for admission than taking the SAT I once more. Being as involved as he can in meaningful activities during his last year of school and cultivating relationships with the teachers who will write his letters of recommendation and revising and perfecting his application essays will likely have more return on investment than a retake of the SAT I--especially because it isn't certain that he'll get a 2400 next time. </p>
<p>Good luck in the application season. Always be sure to apply to one sure-bet "safety" college, and then aim high with confidence.</p>
<p>My daughter's scores were almost identical to your son's. She didn't even consider retaking either the SAT or SAT Subject Tests because she figured that her scores were plenty good enough. It would have been a waste of time and money to retake anything. </p>
<p>As far as she was concerned, she could check off the "take standardized tests" box on the great college admissions checklist in the sky and move on to other things (some related to college admissions, some not). Like your son, she was IB, so she had plenty of things to do besides wasting Saturday mornings taking standardized tests.</p>
<p>All your son really needs to do at this point is consider whether it is a good idea, on top of the very demanding IB program, to try to increase his involvement in ECs. Even if he decides that it is not, there will be plenty of fine college choices available to him. They won't be HYPSM, where extraordinary ECs are pretty much a standard requirement, but they will still be excellent colleges.</p>
<p>Your son's scores are well into the "don't bother to retake" zone. If he doesn't get in HYPS or whatever school, it wont' be because his test scores weren't perfect.</p>
<p>Put me in the don't bother to retake camp. My son had no leadership to speak of in school, but was able to demonstrate his outside interests and leadership skills more through summer work and activities. A lot, I think, depends on how you can sell yourself as an interesting package. That doesn't mean that you have to go out and manufacture activities, but rather present yourself so that it looks like you have clear interests.</p>
<p>Don't bother. Every single score is within the range of error (40 points) and adcoms consider scores in tranches of 50; in other words, a 750 is indistinguishable from a 800.</p>
<p>Focus on different aspects of the application. What else besides great scores can your son offer to adcoms? What are his interests? What does he do when not in school? What about his recs? his essay (s)? What about fit?</p>
<p>Are you kidding? I'm pretty sure he has a greater chance of getting a lower score than a higher score if he retakes.</p>
<p>I don't believe that any school that rejects him with his current scores will accept him if he scores 2400.</p>
<p>He hasn't showed any excellent talent except that he got 1st place in the De Boise piano competition two times (this year and last year). He doesn't have any leadership position except for being a director or something of IB student body. He is not good at any sports. He really wanted to be a school tennis player but was not sellected even for jv at the begining of 10th grade. So he is cross country jv currently.
But he participates in many school clubs and has many many good friends even though he is an Asian.
He is very good at science and history, but hasn't participated in any competition.
He wants to go amherst or williams (his brother is an eph.)
He thinks that he does not have any chance at one of hyps.
(But I think that he can at least apply for one of hyps if he scores a 2400 in his second try.)
Thank you for the kind, informative responses.</p>
<p>I don't think scoring 2400 would make any difference to hyps. What does he do in the summer?</p>
<p>He went to mission trip to Louisiana for one week; he went to mission trip every summer. He is organizing traditional Korean instrument group with his friend-he is a pretty good Korean "drum" player. He teaches many kids from aggebra1 to sats.</p>
<p>He has an excellent list of ECs to go with his great SAT scores. You really are short-changing your son!</p>
<p>Music:
1st place in the De Boise piano competition two times (this year and last year).
He is organizing traditional Korean instrument group with his friend-he is a pretty good Korean "drum" player. </p>
<p>community service
a director or something of IB student body
He teaches many kids from aggebra1 to sats.
he participates in many school clubs
He went to mission trip to Louisiana for one week; he went to mission trip every summer.</p>
<p>sports:
So he is cross country jv currently. </p>
<p>He sounds to me like a very well-rounded young man. He won't get into HYPS if he does not apply. Williams and Amherst are every bit as good as HYPS; they are LACs, i.e., do not have graduate programs, and are in different locations. Either are terrific colleges.</p>
<p>I agree that there is absolutely no reason to take the tests again, especially with four outstanding SAT II scores. Suggest that he goes to the library and takes out some books on ways to present his extra curriculars in a well written brag sheet to attach to his application.</p>
<p>I also suggest the Harry Bauld book on college essay writing. A well written essay will be an asset to his application.</p>
<p>HYPS rejects 50 percent or so of 2400's. Imo, re-taking with his current scores would actually send a negative signal about being scores-obsessed.</p>
<p>ccfaithful, I don't want to speak for mathmom, but the way I read her post #11 was not that she was asking a question, but that she was implying your S already has SAT scores that are fine for any school in the country; but that once he's got the scores, the top schools look for other qualities that set the students apart. In other words, the difference between the top students is not 30 - 40 points of the SAT but what person shows through in the essay? What did the references say that make this student an attractive addition to the student body? (BTW, you started by saying his EC's were "not so great". But since the first post you have mentioned a number of different things your S does, and is involved with. That's starting to confuse me.) [Edit: my post just crossed with #13 and #14, above, so it looks like everyone is picking up on this. What made you think his EC's were so lacking?]</p>
<p>TheDad's comment bears repeating: "If he doesn't get in HYPS or whatever school, it wont' be because his test scores weren't perfect."</p>
<p>If he wants to go to Amherst or Williams, why would he apply to HYPS?</p>
<p>If he knows he wants a liberal arts college, there seems to be little point in applying to other types of colleges.</p>
<p>Hayden, well both really. His scores are fine, more than fine, but I was curious about what he did in the summer the OP had touched on school year stuff - for many kids the longer time span of summer activities provides the best essay fodder.</p>
<p>I have already been persuaded: he does not need to retake sat1.
Thank you for every great advice; I got clearer vision. I didn't realize that essays are that much important.</p>
<p>Has he only taken it once? Does he want to re-take? Does he find testing kind of fun? It's about four hours on a Saturday. I'd leave it totally up to him. Certainly, don't be the one who brings up the idea. But if he wants to do it, I'd let him. And I think a 2400 will help him. Adcoms are human and something about all those zeroes (800 800 800) packs a punch. JMHO</p>