Should I retake SAT?

Applying to College
1

<p>I really want to get into Stanford, and I don't know whether I should retake the SATs to try for a better score. I would have one chance in October before I apply EA...</p>

<p>Here are my scores as of now:
SATI: 2260 (740W 780M 740W)
SATII: 2390 (800IIC 800Physics 8790Chem) - (and also a 720USH =( )
ACT: 34 (still waiting on my new scores from June)
AP: All 5's in AB, BC, Physics B, Chemistry, Lang, Lit, US His, Euro His</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure (or hope) I could make a 2300+, but should I bother studying and trying again?</p>

2

<p>absolutely not</p>

3

<p>I don't see any reason to retake. Your scores are fine for Stanford. If you spend time with anything, the most productive thing to work on would be ECs, and summer is the perfect time for that: Plenty of time to create and organize service projects; work a job (any job can be impressive) or pursue in depth any of your other interests and passions.</p>

4

<p>Ordinarily, my answer to this question would be yes. But in this case, would say that there is only a very marginal gain at best and that the time would be better spent crafting and perfecting the essay instead.</p>

5

<p>you better get ready for community college.</p>

6

<p>dude i think taco bell is hiring. You can maybe get in there with those sat scores and hope to be promoted to manager within 2-3 years. think of all those free chalupas...</p>

7

<p>If you take a look on the Stanford Board for the list of students who did and didn't get in EA and RD last year, you'll see that you're well within the range of students Stanford accepts, but that there are both students with higher scores who are rejected and students with lower scores (unhooked) who are accepted. Your scores put you in the running for just about any college that interests you, but with schools as tough to get into as Stanford, they're reaches for everyone.</p>

8

<p>It seems like my time would be better used refining my essays.. or cutting my 100 breast time =) Ok then, no SAT retake for me.. thanks for the advice!</p>

9

<p>You can also work at your local Dollar General. </p>

<p>Think of how much you will save with the employee discount!</p>

10

<p>wow, thanks for the encouragement guys.. glad to know i have options to fall back on =)</p>

11

<p>SAT scores are but one factor that Stanford will consider in their evaluation of your application. Your scores look excellent as they are. If I'm looking at this correctly, you completed Calc BC as a junior? and you got a "5" on the Calc BC AP Test, as well as the other 7 AP tests you've taken? This will be noticed and valued highly. Great job, by the way.</p>

<p>So, we know your SAT scores are competitive, and that you've taken a rigorous courseload, PLUS demonstrated content knowledge of the subjects through all 5's on each of your AP tests. The major academic measure is your GPA. How does this look? I would think that anything unweighted at 3.9 - 4.0 would give you a good chance at Stanford, academically. At this juncture, the Adcom will look more closely to how you've distinguished yourself in other areas of your life. Good luck!</p>

12

<p>4.0uw and 1/~250 (along with another 5 people because our school doesn't do weighted gpas)</p>

<p>That's good to hear NorCalDad, thanks. I realize that even more crucial to the adcoms decision will be my demonstrated passion, so I'll just spend my time furthering that over the summer.</p>

13

<p>That number might actually be 400 students.. I'm not sure.. I know we have ~2500 at our school though..</p>

14

<p>Julyinoh,</p>

<p>Your perfect 4.0uw GPA is outstanding, and you present an excellent academic record of accomplishment, especially given your rigorous course load. The adcom will evaluate you against all other applicants from your high school. If you compare well (and you should), you will have an excellent chance at Stanford. Apply SCEA if you feel as committed as you do… it may give you a smidgen of an advantage… 20% SCEA vs. 12% RD admit rate.</p>

<p>At my daughter’s excellent high school (in Northern California, obviously), the recent graduating class of 348 had 7 students accepted at Stanford. Half of these were SCEA, and half through RD. Three of these students had perfect 4.0uw GPA’s; while the others were all 3.8 and above. Only one student had a 2400 on the SAT, and he did NOT have a 4.0 GPA. Two of the 4.0 students had SAT scores comparable to yours (above average, probably in the 60-75 percentile range). Each had something special to bring to Stanford. Incidentally, your SAT and ACT scores put you right around the 75th percentile for the enrolled freshmen at Stanford.</p>

<p>BTW, for you… because I sense that retaking the test would NOT sTReSs you out, do retake it if you promise to be relaxed about it. I wouldn’t recommend it for most people, but I believe you when you say that you feel you can do better. It’s a coin flip decision, AND if you feel you have something better to do on a Saturday morning in October, then do that instead. (It's a "no harm, no foul" situation for you.)</p>

<p>Better yet, do some serious homework about yourself. Ask yourself why Stanford is the school for you and what you are bringing to the Stanford community. Introspect, while looking outside of yourself. Picture yourself as an integral component of the planet, and project why you will count. What contribution will you make now and in the future? Prepare for your essays and think seriously about who you will want to write Recommendations.</p>

<p>Here are the essential “Very Important” factors in Stanford’s admission criteria:</p>

<ul>
<li>Rigor of Secondary School Record</li>
<li>Class Rank</li>
<li>Academic GPA</li>
<li>Standardized Test Scores</li>
<li>Application Essay</li>
<li>Recommendations</li>
<li>Character/Personal Qualities</li>
</ul>

<p>Stanfords’s Common Data Set: <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/home/statistics/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.stanford.edu/home/statistics/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Stanford Class Profile for Fall 2005: <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/applying/extras/1_2a6_profile.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/applying/extras/1_2a6_profile.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Good luck to you!</p>