SAT II Predicament. Advice Needed! Please!

<p>I need help. I'm a Stanford aspirant, but I am in sort of a predicament as to whether I should retake my Sat IIs (standby) or not. I'm concerned because if I study my ass off for SAT IIs, but then suddenly find out that there are no standby room, then I'm screwed. Here are my stats:</p>

<p>SAT I: 770 V + 710 M = 1480 total
SAT II: US History - 760 ; Writing - 710; and Math IIC (it was so horrible) - 660. </p>

<p>Now, my question is whether or not I should retake MATH IIC as a standby testtaker since December deadlines are over. My GPA is very competitive - I'm tied for valedictorian and my ECs are average, maybe even mediocre compared to some of the stellar applicants. Should I retake MATH IIC and Writing as well? What's the best course of action? I feel so inadequate because I'm currently taking AP Calculus AB and couldn't even ace Math IIC... Sighs.. PLEASE HELP.</p>

<p>Did you feel adequately prepared when you took the Math IIC? Are there still some good prep books out there that you haven't tried?</p>

<p>With a bit of practice, you can definitely get a higher score. Are you willing to put in the time? If yes, then go on standby. It will be worth it - I think.</p>

<p>I went into MATH IIc cold, without any preparation. A lot of the crap they tested was from Pre-Calc and Calculus had nothing to do with most of it. Also, I hardly had any time to finish the test. I omitted 8 questions due to lack of time. I had Barron's lying around for Math IIC, but never got a chance to look through it. My concern is what are the chances of actually getting in through standby? I don't want to sacrifice time and find out I won't be able to test when I could be investing this time for applications. I am aiming for a 750+ on Math IIc, but if my 660 is any indication, should I just try out IC instead? I don't intend on being a math major, but need those scores, nonetheless. I know that some people would want to be in my position, but everyone sets different goals for themselves and I so want to kick Math IIc's ass.</p>

<p>I don't know about your chances as a standby, but I definitely recommend the IIC over the IC. The IC curve is a killer, and since you've already covered all the information on the IIC, you will be able to get a fine score if you just review the concepts. </p>

<p>A lot of it is pacing (as you said, you left 8 questions blank because of time) - so if you just take a couple of hours between now and the test, your score should already become higher. A few hours is all you need, unless you forget all your precalc (which is what it mainly is).</p>