I took my SATs in October 2014 (it was the first time I took it officially, if that makes any difference). Here is my score breakdown:
Critical reading: 790
Maths: 800
Writing: 750
Okay so I know my overall score is quite high, but I’m still very worried right now because my essay only received a score of 9 (5 and 4) and I’ve been told that some of the top universities, at least in Asia, don’t look very favorably upon non-two-digit scores (yes, some Asian universities also take in SAT scores, though it’s not compulsory).
Can anyone tell me if this is also the case in America, particularly with Ivy League schools? If it is then should I retake the SAT or would it just be a waste of time?
i don’t think that you should retake the SAT unless you are really positive that you will get a better essay and overall score. in my opinion, it would be a waste of time to put in more effort to gain just 50-60 more points
no. the general rule of thumb in america is that any score above 2200 is looked at the same. this is when your EC’s start coming into play. idk about asian schools however.
getting a higher score will most likely NOT increase your chances. you should focus on other stuff like GPA (if you need to) and extra curriculars.
Writing is not usually looked at as much in the first place. Schools often focused more on Math and Critical Reading anyways. Also, a 9 is sometimes good enough to get an 800 on the Writing section, so it is an awesome score!
Retaking and to get 2400 or higher essay grade will not affect your chances at all and is a waste of time.
finalizer is correct and you should focus on GPA and EC’s.
@finallyfree Nope. There IS a significant difference between a 2200 and a 2300+ (one could even say there is more than a marginal difference between a 2390-2400 and a low 2300), but generally speaking, nothing huge between a 2300 and 2300+.
@WJLKWESTKDASHIAN well i guess thats up to opinion. its the internet. i’ve head a lot of people say that 2200+ is the same, others saying 2250+ is the same, and some (you) saying 2300+ is the same. regardless, OP has a 2340 so im sure absolutely NO college is going to reject him because his score is too low. using the same logic, absolutely no college (not even harvard) will reject an applicant with a 2200 for his score being to low… they will reject them for other reasons. so what im saying is, a 2200+ makes u fit for any school. after that it comes down do ur EC’s and essays. thats why people say scores and grades arent the most important factor. they simply keep you in the race. they wont get u the win.
@finallyfree Right, I wasn’t saying that he was going to get rejected for that score, but there is a difference between a 2200, and a 2300. To put it in perspective, in 2014 roughly 8 thousand HS students scored 2300+ on the SAT. More than 28,000 scored 2200+.
@WJLKWESTKDASHIAN 583 people got 2400’s while about 800 scored 2390+. surely a 2400 would have a higher probablity than a 2390 of getting in. nonetheless, OP has a 2340 which in both our criteria would suffice as an exemplary score.