<p>@mathmom, She is good at math in school, taking multivariable calculus this year… She just can’t seem to do well in math, in these high-stakes situations.</p>
<p>@Hunt That’s the exact dilemma we’re in. What is the benefit? I mean there is score-choice but how many of the ivies require math 2? </p>
<p>On a side note, she has a 740 on the math section of the SAT1.</p>
<p>So basically, keep or cancel or score choice? She is applying to all the ivies, northwestern, johns hopkins, carnegie mellon and other top schools. Once again, as a bio major most likely… </p>
<p>and i appreciate all the comments everyone, it’s really helping me understand the process and my daughter as well.</p>
<p>You need to look at the web sites of each of those schools and see specifically what they say about subject tests. Is she applying to special programs or tracks at any of those schools? If so, you need to see if they have separate requirements. How long do you have to cancel the test if you decide to do so?</p>
<p>Also, some of those schools do not have score choice.</p>
<p>The notion that “she just can’t do well at math” is ludicrous. My math computer science geek never got an 800 on the math section of the SAT even though he got an 800 on the verbal twice. The second time the question he missed was so simple a fourth grader could have done it. It’s just carelessness in his case. Guess what, he got into top computer science programs and is now working at Google. It was obvious he was good at math. It Does Not Matter. Carnegie Mellon may require the math subject test BTW - (at least they do in engineering and comp sci.)</p>
<p>Hunt, from what i see on most of the ivy league websites, they take any two. A few are program-specific such as engineering requiring math 2 as well as physics and chemistry. Obviously she can’t fulfill this requirement and will probably apply as a Bio major. </p>
<p>Therefore, would it be smart just to cancel it since she’s fulfilled the requirements essentially? and she can try to take the november test, and if she busts that, we can just cancel it and let it be?</p>
<p>And i don’t want to give the impression that i’m super over-bearing. She’s asked me for this advice and frankly, i don’t know what to tell her! I appreciate all the help!
We need to decide by this wednesday!</p>
<p>One thing I can think of is how the heck do you know for sure that she got 750 or some such score? My S said he didn’t do that well and did not even get to the last 4-5 problems and he got 800. SAT math 2 is curved and some tests are hard and some are easier. It is not the same as in SAT 1, there is no easy way to figure out what you got, I think. And I think SAT 1 also is done with some sort of curve fitting.</p>
<p>And she is doing multi-variable calculus which basically is a second year math for most college students. Any college admission will not question your less than 800 math 2 SAT score, seriously. She is well qualified in terms of math ability for any college.</p>
<p>So what I am saying is that your D is thinking she did not do well, but maybe she did very well. And the next time, she thinks she does well, but maybe she does not. Who knows? Suffice to say, I think you and your D are too overly concerned about this. Tell her to work hard on her essays and the rest of the apps. I think your most difficult task will be deciding where to go from all the acceptances.</p>
<p>ttparent thank you for your kind words but she skipped 5 then got at least 3-4 wrong based off of the thread in the SAT subject test section, definitely not a 800.</p>
<p>If she’s already got two 800s, including a science, I can’t see any reason not to cancel it and forget it–and not take it again later, either. What would be the point? I assume she has good grades in math-has she taken a calculus AP test? If she did, and got a high score on that, I’d call it a day.</p>
<p>Hunt, well the only benefit I can see is that getting an 800 would counteract her 740 on the SAT 1 Math. Otherwise, she got a 5 on AP Calc AB and a 5 on AP Stat. Currently, self-studying Calc-bc. Also, we’re an Asian family so all of my friend’s children have taken math 2 yada yada yada.Wrong thing to do but still, my own peer pressure.</p>
<p>What do you think?</p>
<p>Also, you seem to know the admissions process quite well, where do your children go?
Also, do you know of any top schools that specifically require 3 or require math 2? The only one that i have seen so far are those for special engineering programs which my daughter isn’t interested in and Carnegie Mellon. I appreciate your guidance!</p>
<p>Tiger, please don’t let your own peer pressure getting into your daughter’s life. If she is not into those technology schools, her other two subjects’ 800 are “excellent” enough.</p>
<p>I think Georgetown still requires 3, but as far as I know it’s the only one.</p>
<p>Look at it this way–she’s pretty sure she didn’t get 800 this time, she didn’t get 800 on the math section of the SAT–what are the odds, really, that she’ll get 800 on a retake? Why spend the time on all that prep? She already has 5s on two AP math tests.</p>
<p>And all those other Asian families are probably making their kids go into engineering, so they have to take Math 2.</p>
<p>well the main question i have now is, would keeping the score harm her chances in anyway at top institutions such as princeton(SCEA), or would getting a 760-780 help her in anway. And if she were to retake, how beneficial really would a 800 be on math 2. We have to make a decision tonight!</p>
<p>Tiger - I have not read the thread very carefully, but here is my 2 cents…</p>
<ol>
<li>How can you be sure that she has 750? You have no idea how this test will be curved.</li>
<li>I absolutely agree that 750 in Math II is not the same as 750 in the Math section of SAT I. While 780 in your regular SAT usually means a careless mistake, you can omit several questions in SAT Math II and still receive 800. What was most frustrating for me after my kid received his SAT Math II score - we did not know how many he answered wrong/omitted. Something I was not used to.</li>
<li>How did she do at home on her practice test, assuming she did one? Was she also scoring close to 750? or higher? If she was getting close to 800 at home I would cancel this score and try one more time. If she was always in 750 range - keep it and do not stress about it. It is not worth to study for something that is elusive at such a busy time in her live, when all the college apps are due and she has to keep up her grades.</li>
<li>Majority of top colleges only require 2 Sat subject test, some do not require any if you submit ACT with writing. I went to Harvard/Duke/Penn/Georgetown/Stanford college eve last night and of the five only Georgetown requires 3, with Duke and Harvard allowing score choice. I am going to attend Rice/University of Chicago/Cornell/Brown/Columbia college info tonight - can let you know later on what I have learned there.</li>
<li>While I think that Sat Math II is an important subject test while aspiring for top schools, having some imperfection makes you more human. </li>
</ol>
<p>Mind you - after last night session one thing that all of them repeated several times - the most important part of your application is your transcript!</p>
<p>Thank you Kelowna! Actually she has been scoring 800s on official CB Math 2 tests from the official study guides. This was why it was so frustrating since she skipped 5 and got around 4 wrong. Usually she finishes 15 minutes early but during the test, she barely finished and the proctor called time around 2-3 minutes early according to her.</p>
<p>Do you think there is any benefit for her to keep a score from the 750-780 range when she already has two? If we decide to cancel, i don’t really see any harm since she’s already filled the requirement. Basically we are trying to weigh the benefit of keeping an imperfect score that isn’t really required vs. just doing the minimum but doing it perfectly.</p>
<p>My son goes to Yale, my daughter is applying to schools now. She will be using score choice where she can, because she took several subject tests twice and did a lot better the second time. But people don’t always do better the second time.</p>
<p>I can’t see any value in keeping the score. Also, what if she missed even more questions than she thought, and it’s not a 750?</p>
<p>Thank you for your advice Hunt! We decided to cancel, she is certain that it was a 760 but we took an extra 10 points off to be at 750. Regardless, i don’t think having a 800 on math 2 would have helped her application immensely and not having it won’t do any harm either.</p>