I’m currently a junior and I took the SAT Math 2 exam on Dec 2 and I got 790. The problem is that this puts me in the 75th percentile. I took pre-calc freshman year and I didn’t do any preparation for this test so it took me longer to finish and I didn’t get to check my work. This is the lowest percentile I’ve ever gotten on any standardized test, especially in math. I got a 5 in AP Calc and perfect scores in the PSAT, SAT, and ACT math section. I also have an 800 in both the bio and chem subject tests. I realize that this probably sounds stupid but I want to know if it would affect my chances at all at universities like Duke and John Hopkins. So, should I retake if I can get an 800 since I have plenty of time to study? Or do my other scores show that this is an outlier?
I would personally not advise you to take it, as even if you are rejected, it will not be from your 790 in Math II.
There is no reason to retake a 790.
It is important to understand that for several subjects, the percentiles are depressed because so few colleges request Subject Tests, that the ones that do are the ultra selective ones. As a result, it is the high achieving kids taking the tests. No AO is sitting on the floor cross-referencing scores with percentiles. Additionally, if a 790 was 75th percentile, an 800 was probably 79th. the difference IMO is not statistically meaningful.
If you think the M2 percentiles are crazy, look at Chinese and Korean, which is in addition to the explanation above, is skewed by heritage speakers.
No. 790 is fine and with SAT Subject Exams, my understanding is the colleges are looking more for a score than a percentile. The sample is biased, and there are a lot of kids scoring 800, that’s why your percentile is 75th. But it doesn’t mean it’s bad — and since you have other perfect scores and this one near-perfect, it is FINE. In fact, I’d argue that it looks worse to retake a 790 because the colleges want people that can deal with less-than-perfect scores or grades.
It is fine