<p>I'm an intl' student whose first language isn't English. I speak French and Hebrew fluently.
I took the SAT for the first time in October and scored 2050: CR 640, M 780, W 630</p>
<p>I've applied to Harvard EA already. But I'm wondering if I should take the SAT again in December for other schools.
I want to apply to : Yale, Princeton, Columbia GS, Stanford, UPenn, UChicago, Cornell.</p>
<p>My SAT II are : 800 Maths II, 800 French, 800 Hebrew, USH (750+) to be taken in Nov.</p>
<p>Yes. You are clearly an excellent math student and proficient in both French and Hebrew. However, none of the scores you received so far demonstrate that your English reading and writing skills qualify you for admittance to a college with an acceptance rate of less than 10%. I’m not saying that your skills are not sufficient, but that a retake would give you the opportunity to demonstrate that they are.</p>
<p>The ‘thing’ is that I might be able to score 2100 but not above. I don’t think I could score more than 670 - 680 in the Verbal parts… so is it really worth it?</p>
<p>If you’re an international and aren’t that fluent in english, then colleges, even ivies, may understand your low CR/W score and look more heavily at the TOEFL but i’m not completely sure.</p>
<p>Ahah but I didn’t take the TOEFL yet. Harvard doesn’t require the TOEFL if the SAT is available in the student’s country.
I will take it next month for the other schools…</p>
<p>Yes, you almost have to take it again with a 2050…
Ivy schools have 25 percentiles around 21xx… so that is wayyy below their average.
A 2100 will help you significantly, and don’t be shocked if you hit 700 or reading…</p>
<p>OP–You asked whether it would be worth it to retake the SAT. If you are not accepted to any of your choices, will you always wonder whether you could have been accepted if you had taken the SAT again? I would.</p>
<p>Also, if you believe that your verbal scores would be lower than those of the majority of your classmates, are you concerned about how difficult your classwork would be at an extremely selective college? Are you considering applying to any less-selective colleges, or is it your approach that if you aren’t admitted to those listed above, you won’t go to college in America?</p>
<p>My understanding of the TOEFL is that it is not really comparable to the SAT. Two friends of mine took the TOEFL to be admitted to graduate school (admittedly years ago–I am 50) and each easily made a perfect score. Doing well on the TOEFL would ensure that a college’s minimum requirements are met, but would not necessarily provide a good measure of someone’s achievements.</p>
<p>I’m not concerned about my low scores because I know that when (if) I will be there my level will quickly improve. I am concercned about getting in though… My Verbal scores are the weakest part of my applicatiom. And I hope Harvard will see that and the fact that I’m still in the top 12% of the SAT takers in the verbal parts - most of them AMERICAN students). I do think I will be able to study there…</p>
<p>And I think I’m convinced about taking it again in Dec. I will wonder if I don’t get into any school.</p>
<p>Question: why do you think Harvard will cut YOU slack on your SAT?
No offense… but Harvard denies PERFECT people… a 2050 is a pretty good score, but it doesn’t put you in an elite Harvard category by any means…
I mean… I really suggest that you try again if you think you can do any better at all…</p>
<p>Because I have ECs and a background very people have - 3 years of army, two of them commander. And I grew in 2 different countries with two different cultures, two diffirent languages (french and hebrew) and I explain all that very well in my application.
And the only backgorund I have in english is a 6 weeks trip to Boston (and a lot of books and newspapers), and I still managed to score in the top 12% in the verbal parts. I hope they will think that I have a great potential and they will want me for that</p>
<p>israrub–I think you are very impressive. However, it is impossible to predict what the admissions officers in highly selective colleges will think.</p>
<p>Everyone who applies to Ivy League colleges believes he will be admitted; otherwise, he would not take the time and money to apply. Ninety percent of those applicants are wrong.</p>
<p>A lot of people write that people are more likely to be admitted to selective colleges if they are “hooks”–developmental admits (donors), recruited athletes, underrepresented minorities such as American Indians–that is, in a category of students that the institution believes it absolutely must have to contribute to the college. I’m not sure that any college says–wait a minute, do we have enough army commanders this year? Or enough people who grew up in two countries other than America? Or enough students who learned English on their own? </p>
<p>Your background is very interesting, but it is no guarantee for highly-selective colleges such as the ones on your list. I realize that your question is about retaking the SAT, not college applications, but I urge you to consider adding one or more less-selective colleges to your list if you wish to go to college in America next year. There are many, many other colleges with good financial aid and excellent reputations. If you chose to start a thread in the College Search forum with additional information about your background and interests, I expect that many people would respond with ideas. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Schokolade, thanks very much for the answer.</p>
<p>I know that it’s very very very difficult to get in… But as you said I was initially talking about the SATs.
In my last post I was answering the question wavylays94 asked, to explain why I hope they will consider my low Verbal scores </p>
<p>I will give a look at the College Search forum</p>
<p>wavylays94 - changes everything in a positive way, right?</p>
<p>SheepGetKilled - I know that my English will enormously improve when (if) I will be there… for sure… As I said before I got those scores thanks to a short experience in the states (6 weeks). So after a month or two I should be fine.
Now, I just have to hope they will also think that…</p>