<p>Is an sat math score of 720 good enough for a top engineering college? I have 790 on the other sections but made mistakes on the math. Should I retake, solely to get a better math score?</p>
<p>Just make sure you get an 800 on math II subject test. It’s a higher level math test while the math portion of the sat is a puzzle solving test with a tough curve and the admissions officers know this. It is not worth it in my opinion to spend the money on another sat.</p>
<p>It depends on what your ‘top engineering school’ is. If they are public and you are instate it may be different. If you are oos and they take less oos students it may affect you. Check the common data set for your target schools, knowing that the math scores for an engineering student will need to be higher. The common data set will also list how each school views aspects of the application as highly important, very important, somewhat, and not at all. One may think SAT scores are highly important and class rank not at all. Another may feel GPA, rank, and letters of rec. are highly important, while scores are very important, and your essay is not considered. Each school is different.
I agree that the math2 subject test will play a part in how this number is viewed. Congratulations on very good scores!</p>
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<p>The Math II is not higher level than the SAT I math In fact, it is easier to get 800 on the Math SAT II.</p>
<p>In general, you shoot for 750-800 range on math SATI for top colleges. Anything less than that starts to look like you are either very careless or couldn’t figure out a couple of problems. MIT always says they don’t care as long as you are above 700. A 720 may be a red flag to Caltech, though. You’d have to compensate that with a high AMC score.</p>
<p>I might consider retaking, but it won’t sink you. It’s just a hair (probably one question) below the optimum range.</p>
<p>Ok thanks for the replies guys. I don’t have any intent to go to MIT, cal, or Stanford, even if I could get in. I’m talking about schools like Cornell, g.a tech, Carnegie Mellon, ect, hopefully with a decent scholarship or financial aid. I guess “top” is pretty vague, and I apologize for that.</p>
<p>Schools like Cornell don’t give merit scholarships. I’m not sure if MIT or CMU do either. If they do, they probably only give them to a few students with perfect stats who they particularly want.</p>
<p>The top ranked schools that give merit, do not give assured merit. They give their few merit scholarships to a few targeted students that they want.</p>
<p>If you need financial aid, do you know if your family qualifies? Do you know if your family can pay their expected family contribution?</p>
<p>How much will your parents pay each year?</p>
<p>FA Calc
[FinAid</a> | Calculators | Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Financial Aid](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Calculator - Finaid)
Do both the federal method and institutional methods for figuring family contribution. Many privates use the both methods. If there is a non-custodial parent, then their income (and step-parent incomes) might also be included at some schools.</p>
<p>If you need money to attend college, then be sure to apply to a couple of schools that will give you assured BIG merit for your stats. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a situation where the school expects you/your family to pay more than it can afford.</p>
<p>My nephew got into Georgia Tech out of state with SAT scores in the high 600s/low 700s.</p>
<p>Honestly, forget retaking it if you have 790 on the other sections, unless you are interested in Caltech like collegealum said. That school really likes to see the highest scores in everything, although there are of course exceptions [given it’s such a small school, I think anything that might disqualify you should be something you might want to eliminate].</p>
<p>For all other schools, just aim for a very high Math II score. An 800 or close should be no problem if you prep.</p>
<p>OP says:
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<p>Re-read m2ck’s advice a couple of posts above this one. She gives you some really important advice for this situation!</p>