<p>I took the SAT for the first time in May and got a 2280 (CR:730 M:800 W:750 9 essay). I think my score is awesome, but is it competitive enough for top engineering schools? My extra curriculars are fine, my grades are superb, and the rigor of my schedule is decent (4 AP classes this year). Do you think it's worth retaking the SAT? I'm planning on taking Math IIC, SAT USH, and SAT Bio M in October.</p>
<p>retaking the SAT with a 2280 is ridiculous. It’s an amazing score, especially cause Engineering schools are probably concerned with math scores and you got a perfect score on that. Instead of studying for the SAT over the summer and maybe get a 2350, you should start your essays and do some internships.</p>
<p>Wharton is right, retaking a 2280 is superfluous. Keep in mind, at top engineering schools such as MIT and Stanford, scores are not everything.</p>
<p>Maybe a personal anecdote might illustrate my position on this better than if I just came out and told you. </p>
<p>I got a concussion a week before the January exam, but decided to take it anyway. I ended up getting a 2270. Because I literally had a brain injury, and the few practice tests I took prior to the exam indicated that I had a good shot at a 2400, I retook it (yesterday, in fact!) Looking back, I should’ve just been happy with my score and moved on. I wasted 5 hours of my life answering college board’s stupid questions that have no bearing on my true academic potential whatsoever. So piquant, I urge you to not retake the SAT, because there are far more important things that colleges look for in prospective students.</p>
<p>A 2280 is an extremely good SAT score and it is definitely good enough for most ivy leagues. One of my senior friends got a 1800 on her SAT and she was able to get into Stanford so SAT scores don’t account for everything. Your application and essay are what you should be looking into right now.</p>
<p>2280 is great, and the 800 in math would look appealing to engineering schools. I heard columbia engineering school needs about 2100 SAT, so you would have high chances of getting in if that was an option. Does the college board release your essay grade? I thought they didn’t and just told you your overall writing grade</p>
<p>It’s competitive. I’m sure you’d get into a good engineering school. However, if you did retake the test and got a 2350-2400, you’d have a slightly broader range of choices that may include some of those top tiers like MIT who otherwise would’ve dismissed you. I’m not saying they will dismiss you solely on your SAT scores, but if you think you can do better without wasting too much time, why not?</p>
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<p>This just isn’t quite right. First of all, Columbia Engineering doesn’t “need” about 2100 SAT. Rather, the 25th percentile SAT score for Columbia’s engineering students (in their Class of 2014, at least) is 2100. See here: <a href=“http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/applications/stats.php[/url]”>http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/applications/stats.php</a>. Also, having a score in excess of 2100 isn’t going to give you a “high” chance of getting in. At least, not in any sense that squares with my understanding of a “high chance.” The overall admit rate for Columbia Engineering is about 7%. (<a href=“http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/faq/how-competitive-admission-columbia[/url]”>http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/faq/how-competitive-admission-columbia</a>) Even if you can improve on that significantly, I think it’s still not a “high” chance.</p>
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<p>I also disagree with this advice.</p>
<p>And I think I can show you that MIT does, too. See this CC thread (<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1193457-esse-quam-videri-how-do-college-applications.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1193457-esse-quam-videri-how-do-college-applications.html</a>) and this blog post from MIT Admissions ([What’s</a> the big deal about 40^2? | MIT Admissions](<a href=“http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/whats_the_big_deal_about_402]What’s”>What’s the big deal about 40^2? | MIT Admissions)).</p>
<p>The others are right. You don’t need to take the SAT again.</p>
<p>Focus on other factors of your application this summer. Your score is amazing, and I bet there are dozens of students on college confidential who would love to have earned your score.
Even if you did get a 2300 or higher, acceptance at a top engineering school is not guaranteed.</p>