At the risk of sounding extremely pretentious: just to be sure, there’s no legitimate difference between a 1560 (770R and 790M) and 1600 to MIT admissions, right? Like retaking for a higher score wouldn’t benefit my app?
Well, the short answer is that a higher score WOULD benefit your application. MIT gets lots of applicants with higher scores. What’s the downside of retaking?
I agree. MIT is s bit of a different animal - 75% of the students have an 800 in Math. You can confidently send that score but an 800, if it’s not a burden to retest, won’t hurt.
ETA - it also depends on how many times they have already taken it. If, say, 4 - time to move on.
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So much for “applying sideways” as MIT likes to boast about.
I personally think it’s ridiculous to retake the SAT after scoring a 1560. The answers above are probably right for MIT, but personally speaking as a parent, that’s enough for me to caution my kids about applying to it.
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Only retake the SAT if it’s convenient for you because, in the end, a higher score may not matter. Anecdotally, I know a student who was rejected EA last cycle with a 1590 (800M).
Working on other parts of your application is likely a better use of your time. Read MIT’s advice about Applying Sideways for insight into their admissions process.
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There are many of them.
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But if an 800 on SAT Math is effectively a requirement, how much stock does one put in “applying sideways.” The difference between a 790 and 800 is a single question…if it really is a deal breaker, I am not sure how much faith an applicant can give to “applying sideways” to MIT. Just IMHO.
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Indeed. The kid I know relied too heavily on stats (GPA/SAT). Stats alone are not enough for top colleges. Their blog provides some good information. I know some will dismiss passion as a buzzword but I do believe MIT is seeking kids who are more than just their GPA and SAT.
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Yes. The GPA/SAT just gets you to the door.
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I think one has to be careful in cases like this about the correlation-causation fallacy.
MIT selects in many other ways for students who are extremely good at math. MIT students are also likely (but not certain) to have scored an 800 on the SAT Math section. So does an 800 on the SAT Math section play a significant role in causing someone to be an MIT student, or is it more a common cause effect?
With the right data, you can test for these sorts of things. I am not aware of anyone external to MIT having the right data. My personal guess, though, is it is really mostly a common cause effect.
That guess is based mostly just on my feeling that the other ways in which MIT is selecting for extreme math ability are way more meaningful than the SAT Math section. Given that, to me, it is implausible MIT really cares a lot about the SAT Math score, as opposed to those other things. Conversely, to me, it makes sense that the people who excel in math in the ways MIT truly cares about would mostly see an 800 on the SAT Math as a walk in the park.
And I think that is also consistent with the fact MIT does admit a significant minority of people with not-800s. MIT in particular does not need to do that, but it does. So I personally think that observation is more consistent with the common cause theory, and not so consistent with an 800 versus not-800 playing a significant role in their admissions decisions.
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yes there is a difference and yes a higher score would always benefit an application 
No. The difference between a 790 and an 800 in math is insignificant. Just apply with your excellent score; a 790 won’t keep you out, and an 800 won’t get you in.
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