Hey guys,
On the Jan 2015 SAT exam, I got a 2180 (CR: 690, M: 730, WR: 760, Essay: 11). I had studied a lot so I was a little disappointed with my CR and M scores. Do you guys think I should retake the exam this Mar 14, 2015? I like to think I have a fairly compelling application and want to apply to some highly selective colleges. Another option is that I leave the SAT alone and take the ACT… any opinions?
Thanks in advance!
No.
Fine, take the ACT. It will provide good correlation.
You don’t think it is bad to have a 6 at the front of the CR score?
What schools are you applying to?
That’s an individual determination. Maybe you are lucky to have the '7’s.
I was considering Berkeley, Stanford and Harvard. For the record, I don’t intend to be hubris… I understand these colleges are hard to get into.
Not trying to be critical, but I find it funny how incorrectly a lot of the high school students on this site use certain words to make themselves look smarter. You can’t be “hubris,” but you can appear arrogant. In my opinion simpler is better 9/10 times.
Anyway, I think it’s worthwhile to take the ACT and evaluate where you are after that. If you end up doing much better on the ACT, it may be worthwhile just to stick with the ACT. Conversely, if you do far worse you may want to just stick with the SAT and try to grind out some practice tests for that last 50-100 points that would really help your application. If your ACT score doesn’t come out as high as your SAT score, just study for the SAT and take it once or twice more. I’d say that if your score doesn’t end up improving much you’ll still have a shot at those schools, but it would be nice to have a 2250 or at least bring every score up to around a 730.
Good question, OP. I would take the ACT and see how it goes. Maybe you are more of an ACT kid. If you get about the same score, I’d take one of the tests again and then let it be. Spend your time doing something more interesting than taking and and studying for tests.
A 2180 is a good score. It will get you past the first screen. What will get you in to college will be the rest of the package: your essays, your activities, etc.
micmatt513… haha I’ll try and use the word right! It was one of my vocab words and I thought I’d attempt to use it ina sentence which has evidently failed.
That makes sense Lizardly… is there a certain target score on the ACT I should aim for?
Also… should I take the ACT plus writing?
The ACT target score is 36. Aiming higher is useless.
Yes, take the writing test.
OP, yes, take the ACT with Writing…that will satisfy your SAT II scores for most schools.
Yes, only take the ACT w/ writing. Anything else is a waste of your time. Your target score should be at least a 34. AA 33 means that you should just prepare for whichever test you prefer taking. A 32 or lower means that you should just stick with the SAT.
Sounds good! One last question, is this the best ACT prep book: The Real ACT (CD) 3rd Edition (Real Act Prep Guide)?
The main thing with the ACT is the timing…yes, use that book and time yourself on the practice tests.
Alright… will do! Thanks for the help everybody