<p>I was aiming for 2200+ because i heard that was all you really needed for competitive schools. but i thought my MATH would be way higher because that's my strongest subject! i had NO idea my writing score would be that high. I only have 1440/1600 though!
(i took it sophomore year and got 580-W, 590-CR, 710-M..didnt improve much on math)</p>
<p>I'm asian though so it looks pretty bad to get a low math score right? but i am from Arkansas. haha</p>
<p>SAT IIs (sophomore year)</p>
<p>math II-760
US history-800</p>
<p>I'm retaking Math II in january, then Chemistry in June. Pretty confident about those scores.</p>
<p>And my GPA is one of the highest in the school, if not number one. (school doesnt rank though) </p>
<p>Is that competitive enough for Harvard?
Or should I retake and aim for a higher CR and Math score because I definitely have a lot of time to prepare for those? But that would be my 3rd time taking it..(Is that too much?)</p>
<p>You've got good scores, but there's no downside in retaking the SAT1, if you think you can improve them. Harvard superscores. Three times is not too much. I personally wouldn't do more than three, after that I think you should spend your Saturdays improving your application other ways.</p>
<p>I went in as a sophomore just to see how it was like. So not much practice at all.
But during the summer, I used the Big Blue (CollegeBoard) Book and it helped SO much!
I did all the practice tests in it under timed conditions..except for the first one.
Just set aside Saturday morning or some other time and take it where there won't be any distractions (a room, office, library..etc)</p>
<p>Grade the practice tests, review all the problems you missed, why you missed them, and if it's a math problem, I would go back and make sure you can solve it by yourself. Make sure you're REALLY careful. That's what messed me up during the actual test.</p>
<p>For CR, I kept a list of the vocab words I kept missing, looked up the definitions, reviewed those words instead of just using a huge vocab book. (Practice is important for this..especially under timed conditions because you really have to pace yourself when reading the passages.) This is what I still need to work on.</p>
<p>WRITING is by far the easiest section to raise your score. Find PATTERNS. There's always the same mistakes (subject/verb agreement, idioms, me/I, parallelism..etc) so pretty soon, I was just looking for those same mistakes.
For the essay, read some of the sample ones and you'll see that most of them have a certain structure (Intro, 2 examples, conclusion. I mostly used example from history/literature/past experiences. Make sure you finish in time. A brief outline helps speed things up)</p>
<p>I also used Princeton Review for some of the practice sets but I mainly used the CollegeBoard Book! My average practice test scores from those tests is basically the score I got on the actual test. Doing practice tests also calmed me down during the actual test because I felt like I was just taking another practice test so I wasnt nervous/anxious or anything and I knew exactly what I needed to do, how much time I would have (what sections I need to rush/take my time on), what the instructions are, what type of problems I would find..etc. Red Bull helped me stay awake during the CR passages..hahaha.</p>
<p>Even if I know I can improve my Math score and possibly my CR?</p>
<p>Would admission officers compare my scores to everyone else from my high school/state? Because if so, they would be pretty high. COmpared to the rest of the country..they're not so high...</p>
<p>Oh geez, I was just hoping for a 2300! haha, 2400 seems like a stretch. A 800 CR will be a tough one.</p>
<p>tarrence13- You really think so? If I take it again, it'll be October of senior year. So I only took it once every year. Not like 3 times all in senior year..
I won't seem grade obssessed will I?</p>
<p>If anyone has advice on getting 750+ CR..please do tell!
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If anyone has advice on getting 750+ CR..please do tell!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Since you asked, and since people are looking on, I'll give my usual advice: </p>
<p>READ, READ </p>
<p>To learn how to score well on a standardized test reading section, the number one piece of advice is READ, READ, READ, and READ. Read about what you like to know more about. Read things that are fun for you. Find books and magazines about interesting topics and read them. Turn off the TV and read. Put away the video game controller and read. Read hard things, and read easy things. Read a lot. </p>
<p>For years, I wondered why it came so readily to mind to write "READ, READ, READ" in all capital letters like that when I give advice on this subject, as I have frequent occasion to do. Recently, I reread the section "Suggestions for Study" in the front matter of John DeFrancis's book Beginning Chinese Reader, Part I, which I first used to learn Chinese back in 1975. In that section of that book, I found this passage: "Fluency in reading can only be achieved by extensive practice on all the interrelated aspects of the reading process. To accomplish this we must READ, READ, READ" (capitalization as in original). </p>
<p>Good luck in your applications. Enjoy your reading.</p>
<p>You don't need to take it again. Especially with all that work you put into raising your scores, just relax!</p>
<p>Harvard admissions is very holistic. They don't look at two students with a score of 2200 versus 2300 and take the latter. I believe they like to have good scores as a bottom line, and then look at "the rest" of the student." Plenty of people with 2400 scores don't get in.</p>
<p>There are a lot of better ways to spend your time than taking umpteen practice SAT's. DO some theater, volunteer, spend time with friends, whatever...and enjoy your senior year!</p>
<p>This entire "2400s get rejected" sentiment is becoming a little ridiculous, I think. Truly, even the Harvard pool does not have an overwhelming number of 2400s. 2400s that get rejected often get rejected for noticeable lacklusterness. (Only around ~100 in the country out of thousands score perfectly per sitting and they don't all necessarily apply to Harvard) If the OP can get it, coupled with ECs, strong grades and recommendations, he or she will become extremely competitive. Even if it isn't a 2400, it wouldn't hurt the OP to take the SAT senior year. I think that the SAT should be a recent evaluation of your "readiness for college." Of course, the OP will do fine in college, but if that 2230 is not the most reflective of how well he or she can do, why not retake it? (Isn't this year mid-year grade reports are sooo important?) Once a year hardly makes him or her a standardized machine. Holistic or not, the fact remains that a 2400 is a more competitive SAT score than a 2230. If nothing else, it'd get the OP in over an identical applicant with a less competitive score. Actually, I think it shows a certain respectable diligence, insofar as it doesn't render itself a silly trade-off.</p>
<p>Thank you SO much tokenadult. I used to read a lot until high school when things got a lot more hectic.</p>
<p>I'll be reading a lot more this summer and hopefully that'll help since if I retake the SAT, it'll be in October.</p>
<p>Haha, I got one more year until I'm a senior so not quite time to relax yet. And if I do study, it'll be in the summer when I have all the time in the world.</p>
<p>So techy233--do you suggest I take it again? How much of an impact would increasing my score 100 points or so have?</p>
<p>I have 2 subject tests (USHistory, MathII) and I'll have Chemistry by the end of this year.</p>
<p>Do you guys suggest taking Literature?
That seems like it'll look extremely good if I get a good score on it.
But is it worth the time if I will already have 3 subject tests?</p>
<p>Retake it. Even 60 points is statistically significant. Don't take Literature if you have 3 strong scores, unless you want to be a humanities major. However, the SAT, and probably a 5 on an AP English exam will suffice to show your English expertise.</p>
<p>A possible 100 point increase is more than enough reason to retake the SAT. Why not show the test whose boss? Why not perform to the highest level of your ability? Why not go for the 2300, 2400? Sure, there are far more important things to consider. But I think that these important things become more pronounced during college, and that High School is the time to prove our aptitude. Don't make this your sole goal or merit, but I think it's very much worth it. It may not get you a Harvard acceptance, but I think it'll satisfy you in the sense that you know you did your very best. If you get rejected, you may always wonder what would have happened if you had gone that last, insignificant (but really a pretty significant) step. It would be best if you score a mid 2300. Remember, objectively, 2330 > 2230, always. </p>
<p>But don't abandon your other interests for the SAT. I'm not promoting that, either.</p>