My current SAT score is 1490 superscored: 800 math, 690 English.
I plan on applying to competitive schools for a computer science-related major. Schools including UPenn, USC, Northeastern, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, etc. With SAT scores still being optional at most schools, would submitting my SAT score with a high math subscore but a lower English subscore hurt my chances? If so, should I omit that detail on my application?
Your math score is exceptional.
Your English score is still better than 90% of test takers, for a potential major that is not at all English intensive.
I would submit it.
Also, someone I know got into both NEU and BU with an SAT score that is lower than 1490. Actually I got into MIT with an SAT score lower than 1490 (and the same math score of course), but that was a long time ago.
I would submit as the 800 relates to your area of study.
If you adjust your SAT score for the 1995 recentering and the 2016 redesign, it may be equivalent to something higher.
If you look at each school:
U Penn - 71% submit and I’m guessing but maybe wrong that STEM runs higher. The 25th for English is at 730 with 93% at least a 700 in English - so to me, while the 800 is great, it’s tough. I’d leave toward not submitting but only you can decide.
USC - 50% submit. The overall is between 25th and 50th but the English again is low with 82% having at least a 700 English. But only 50% submitted - to me, I would here but again it’s not a slam dunk.
BU 35% submit - and while English is above the 25th but below the 50th and the composite is above the 50th so seems a no brainer.
NEU - 45% - same as BU - makes sense to submit.
CMU - 70% submit. The composite is “just” below the 25th percentile. But 92%+ had a 700 English.
I would say BU and NEU make sense to submit.
USC is a tougher call. I would submit but statistically, and I’m looking at the overall university, with 82% a 700 English, it might not make sense. I agree with other posters that this is a STEM degree and I wish we could see STEM only English scores.
Penn and CMU - it’s one of those, if you are proud, submit. I think a lot of kids have this dilemma. My daughter was proud of her 32 ACT and wanted to submit it to Emory, W&M, etc. and was waitlisted at both. Would the decision have been different TO? No idea - but in the end, I asked her if she wanted to and she said yes because she was proud of them. At W&L, same dilemma and she got in. Rice was the one school she didn’t submit and she didn’t get in.
So you have to decide- but statistically, I would lean against CMU and Penn because very few get in with less than a 700 in English…but not none.
So no one can truly guide you - but I’d definitely yes to BU and NEU, likely submit but it’s risky to USC and I would not to Penn and CMU - but here’s the thing - you might be rejected to both regardless of submission or not.
You’ll never know the right answer unless you do what you do and get in.- so make your best call.
Best of luck.
I would really try to get the English part higher. How many times have you taken it? Can you study the English a bit and try to get a better score? Even just getting a 700 on English I think looks better and also gets your overall to a 1500.
In terms of your greater college list, you may want to think about this conversely. That is, strongly consider applying to at least several colleges at which your SAT total would place you at or above the median for attending students.
We asked an MIT coach what kind of score would be a problem and I thought they were going to say something like “bellow a 720” but the answer was “below 680/690” might cause some problems. No such leeway in Math, of course.
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