Should I bother retaking the SATs? (+questions/chancethread)

<p>To give you guys some background knowledge on me: I am the most NERVOUS test taker ever. In the Bluebook and past tests (released QAS) I score consistent 2300s but on the real thing it just doesn't click (whether it be because of lack of sleep, nerves, testing conditions, etc)</p>

<p>And to give you some perspective I am currently a Junior in HS. I already signed up for May Subject tests and have prom the day before the June SATs. So I am currently trying to figure out if I want to take Oct/November next year. </p>

<p>Colleges I am thinking of applying to: Yale SCEA, UMich EA, UVA EA. (or replace Yale with UChicago, which will allow me to apply to Georgetown, MIT, and BC early as well. But Yale is my first choice). Regular decision: Harvard. Yale. Princeton. Stanford. Columbia. (Basically the whole IVY league- I know I look like a prestige whore). NYU. Rutgers New Brunswick. Boston College. Duke. Carnegie Mellon. John's Hopkins. Williams. Amherest. UC Berkeley. So yeah- a slew of colleges... Oh yeah- I'm an Asian male from NJ (damn....)</p>

<p>Additional information/family information: So my mom went to Columbia university for graduate school and taught at Princeton for 8 years as an associate professor. Will this be a benefit? I know its nothing near legacy. </p>

<p>So Stats: </p>

<p>SAT Is: 700 CR, 750 M, 670 W (11 Essay) This test was off 0 hours of sleep plus BAD nerves
Second sitting: 760 CR, 730 M, 750 W (10 essay). There wasn't a working clock (I forgot to bring one fml) and the test proctor was definitely a detriment...
Super Score: 760 CR, 750 M, 750 W: 2260 Superscore. I was so close to the 800 in every section... sigh. </p>

<p>SAT IIs: 760 Math II (I suck at math) and I plan on taking USH and Bio this may.</p>

<p>School info:
GPA: 4.19 (should be 4.20+ at the end of semester)
Rank: 2/336
Basically all A+s except a B+ in APUSH2 (aced both marking periods, failed the final because I was staying up all night doing TASP essays and the teacher decided to give a pop final... o_o)
AP Courses: ABCalc, APBio, APUSH, APStats, ApEnvi</p>

<p>Extra Curriculars: </p>

<p>Sports:
Cross Country: 9,10,11,12 Varsity
Indoor Track: 9,10,11,12 Varsity
Outdoor Track: 9,10,11,12 Varsity</p>

<p>Music:
Concert Choir: 9,10,11,12 Accompanist and hopefully President next year?
Jazz Band: 9,10,11,12 Principle Tenor+Soloist
Pit Band: 9,10,11,12 Piano Accompanist, Saxophone Soloist, Synthesizers (basically everything haha)
District Band: 11,12 Highest scorer in District on Tenor Saxophone...</p>

<p>Academics:
Math Team: 10,11,12 Co-captain
Quiz Bowl: 10,11,12 50% chance I'm captain next year...?</p>

<p>Misc:
National Honor Society: 11,12
Key Club: 9,10,11,12 Editor
Student Ambassador for district: 10</p>

<p>Volunteering:
President of my School's branch of a "youth leadership council". Basically plan/run volunteering events across the township: park cleanups, benefit walks, charities, etc.
Significant time commitment. About 400/500 hours?</p>

<p>Summer Stuff:
9: Did a lot of reading/Cross Country practice. Took intensive Chinese Course got 6 college credits. A in course.
10: Took Biochemistry over the summer at State College. 3 Credits earned. Traveled.
11: Am going overseas to teach disadvantaged kids English. Boys State. Writing. </p>

<p>Rec Letters:
They should be excellent: one from my current English teacher and AP lang teacher next year. Probably the best class I've ever taken. Doing well too. And another one from my track coach/AP Stats teacher. Pretty close relationship. (As/A+s in these classes)
Guidance Counselor recommendation should be pretty good as well. </p>

<p>Oh and I probably going to apply as an English/humanities major. Unlike all the other Asian males I am terrible at math and science... </p>

<p>So opinions?</p>

<p>Hey, slacker. </p>

<p>Your 2240 second sitting is only the top 16,000 in the world. Get back to work and get a decent score, will ya?</p>

<p>Seriously, at the rarified level of your SATs (top 1% in the world) it’s all the other non-SAT stuff that will influence your acceptances . . because plenty of people who apply to those prestige schools with your scores get rejected.</p>

<p>Take Brown: rejected 80% with an 800 SAT CR and and 85% with an SAT CR of 750-790.</p>

<p>Rejected 83% with an 800 SAT Math and 87% with an SAT Math of 750-790.</p>

<p>In re: all those schools you are applying to: ask yourself which ones would you not want to attend. Then don’t apply there. Then ask yourself which schools you would not be thrilled to attend. Then don’t apply to those, too.</p>

<p>Only apply to schools that you would be quite happy (at least) to attend . . and make sure that a couple of those are safeties.</p>

<p>All that said . . . you look good . . . apply and let the process unfold.</p>

<p>You look pretty okay (also a junior, so don’t take my word for it!) </p>

<p>I don’t think you have anything to worry about in terms of the SAT. Even though your superscore isn’t in the 2300s, you have really solid scores on all the sections! I’m kind of in the opposite situation (high superscore, failed the math) so I think I have more to worry about than you do.</p>

<p>Your ec’s are good too!</p>

<p>Thanks for the feedback. It just scares me that in all of the Yale decision threads it seems like the minimum 2300+ SAT score is a make it or break it deal.</p>