The first time i took SATs i got a 2270 but my goal was a 23+ and i know im capable of of that, i have achieved it multiple times on practice test and what not. This score was from november
Math: 800
Cr: 730
Writing:740 (1x mc and 8 essay which was uncharacteristically low)
Took it again in march and i got a 2200
Math: 780
Writing: 800
Reading: 620 (i havent score this low on reading since like middle school)
I dont know what went in reading this time around. Im usually pretty good in reading, always scoring above a 700. The reading on this test was definitely hard and i didnt feel too comfortable about it, but i didnt expect my score to drop this drastically
Superscore: 2330
Now ive seen that most colleges look at your superscore but i want to know how this would possibly affect me.
I want to shoot for a full ride to rutgers (which superscores but im not sure what scores the presidential scholarship looks at) and if colleges see my scores and feel wary about my low reading score even though im actually pretty good at critical reading, this was an anomaly to me.
My dream has always been to shoot for ivies and top tier schools as well as 7 yr med programs. Most schools ive looked into superscore but it just seems to good to be true that they just see a 2330 even though ive gotten a 2270 and 2200
Also, should i take the test for a third time in june? Does this look bad? Should i consider ACT instead Im nervous though because im still kind of roughed up from my last score and it’s exhausting in general.
Thanks for reading this whole thing i appreciate it. Just concerned for my future, i dont want a low test score to screw with everything ive been working towards overall.
First of a chill out and calm down. You scored a 2200+ twice, which in any college’s books is an extremely high score, and can qualify you score wise at nearly every Ivy League and top tier school if that’s what you’re concentrating on. Yes a 110 point drop in reading is going to look strange, but schools won’t necessarily take as a negative. Standardized testing is something these schools know about extensively, and a score drop can very well be attributed to a difficult test (SATs are not all inherently the same even though they are “standardized”, which is shown by the fact that all tests are curved differently), anxiety, or sickness. The good thing about this is that a college will never be able to know why you did worse the 2nd time, and can’t penalize you for it. The next thing is that a 70 point drop especially at the 2200+ range is relatively insignificant because at that point the scores all say the same thing. Plus, most schools nowadays superscore, and a 2330 is an extremely good score superscored. You may want to check out testing policies at schools you’re considering to see whether they superscore or only look at certain sections. For Rutgers’ presidential, I’d say you are a very good candidate score wise. I’d say the same for the Ivies, but everyone knows that scores can’t get you in alone and Ivy admission is really just a crapshoot.
I’ll use myself as anecdotal evidence. I scored a 33 on my ACT on he first try with a perfect math score. However, I retook the test two more times, and my math score fluctuated a lot going from 36 to 32 to 34. I ended with a 34 as my best single sitting and superscore. Retaking the test also gave me a 35 in reading, which went up from a 32, so there are definitely positives to retaking a certain number of times. In the end, I didn’t get Rutgers’ presidential, but I got into Cornell and rejected from many Ivies.
I’d say give retesting some good thought since you may increase marginally, see no increase, or at worse see some decrease. At this point our scores are good enough for you to be qualified at a lot of schools. Also give the ACT a shot. It’s a little more of a time sensitive test, and if you don’t do well, you’re not obligated to submit those scores to any school.
Thanks this was very comforting actually haha and I really needed that. I think i might consider taking the ACT! Any tips on scoring high?
I was going to ask if you perhaps misbubbled the sections and was about to suggest a hand-grade instead of a machine-grade. However, you seem like you weren’t very confident in the section.
Rutgers says they don’t look at a particular number however I remember before that they used to look at 2250+. I forget off the top of my head. Now it goes off more holistically. But please don’t demoralize yourself. 2330 superscore is amazing.
Scoring high on the ACT…well…I think you’ll be fine for English and the essay part. Math just requires remembering your concepts. Reading will give you sections (about four or five) to go through. Take it slow but not too slow and analyze the passages thoroughly. For science, don’t run out of time and move as quickly as possible without making mistakes, skimming the graphs and charts first, then reading the questions, and jumping back to the graphs and charts to find the answer.