<p>Hey,</p>
<p>If I got a 790 in May for Math II, is it worth retaking to get an 800? I will be applying to competitive schools.</p>
<p>Ah, the classic question. If you feel confident in your ability to score 800 and any preparation will have little opportunity cost, I recommend retaking. Otherwise, no.</p>
<p>I would not suggest doing so. Colleges will know that you are proficient in math with a 790 and the difference could have been misreading one question. I know that the percentiles for Math II are considerably lower than for other tests, but I still don’t advise retaking it. No school is going to say, (s)he only got a 790 on math II. I would highly doubt that it would make the difference between your acceptance or rejection anywhere and it could look negatively upon you that you took it a second time with such a great score.</p>
<p>Why would it be a negativity for him if he took again?</p>
<p>^ If the OP applies to a non-Score Choice institution, the school will see his or her 790 and retaken score; they may not be happy that someone retook a somewhat high score.</p>
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<p>Only if we are comparing a borderline 800 and a 790. The curve is quite generous, so the difference is not likely attributable to silly mistakes for most people, nor should colleges assume that this is the reason.</p>
<p>because colleges don’t want to see someone who spends all of their time taking tests, especially if their original scores are good. I understand that 2 times is reasonable, even though I don’t think it’s necessary. However, a third time on this SAT II would definitely send a negative message to colleges. </p>
<p>I was at a college conference with a bunch of adcoms from top schools (H, S, Penn, Georgetown, Duke) and they said you can take the SATs once, twice if you’re smart, and three times if you’re a little crazy. The OP is probably fine either way, but in my opinion it is a waste of time/money. It probably won’t change much positively or negatively weighing an 800 vs. the fact that he felt he had to retake a 790. I personally wouldn’t retake anything less than a 750, maybe even a bit lower, but I like math and do well in it. For all SAT Subject tests, anything over 700 is a very respectable score.</p>
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<p>I don’t know whether I agree with this: even though about 1/10 of the people who take the SAT take Math Level 2, there are still about 58,000 people who achieve 700+ on that Subject Test each year.</p>
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<p>Sixty minutes of test-taking does not indicate this.</p>
<p>What defines “competitive schools” though? Because I am taking Math 2/US History and I think I will only be able to get around 700(+/- 30)
for BU and NYU who require 2 SAT IIs. I talked to my dean and he said that a high 600’s should be good enough for these schools but I looked at the percentiles and those scores are only around 30-40%… Are mid 600’s acceptable?</p>
<p>790 Math IIC = the most painful score. Idk what i’d do in your situation.</p>
<p>Just retake it. It’s only an hour, so if you feel like you will definitely get an 800, there is absolutely nothing to lose.</p>
<p>ok silverturtle, I see your points (you are too good at arguing…)</p>
<p>I still think that a 790 v. 800 in Math II is not going to make a difference, but by all means retake it if you want to get that perfect score</p>