<p>I am in a fix. I really want to go to a top engineering school (MIT/Stanford) but my SAT score in math is not helping. I am a genius when it comes to math in the classroom but I SUCK at standardized math exams with little time. </p>
<p>I took my first SAT as a sophomore and got 1990 ( M: 670, CR: 670, W: 670-essay: 8) which was OKAY for a first time. </p>
<p>In Jan. of my junior year, I realized 1 week before the SAT exam that the next SAT date would be in May (I'm an international student so no March exam). I took the exam as a late candidate and did pitifully: (M: 710, CR: 660, Writing: 610-essay 8). I actually went down 10 points and received 1980. Something went horribly wrong with my writing section, and I think that I made a mistake on the answer sheet because I remember forgetting a question(which led to big problems).</p>
<p>Now, I just took my SAT in May and I did a lot better, but not as well as I wished--esp in math. I suspect I'll get the following: M: 690-730, CR: 780-800, Writing: 680-740. I did superb on the CR section, but on my essay i didn't have time to finish my second example and write a conclusion (however, what i did write was 12 material) but so far I only have 1 on the writing MC. I suspect I'll get a total of 2200 on this test. </p>
<p>I plan on taking the SAT another time to improve my Math score into the 750+ range, but I am worried that adcoms will look down on me for taking it so many times. Should I cancel my May SAT, or should I use it as a sort of "safety" in case I do worse on the June SAT (and if i do better on the June I won't cancel). As long as I'm progressing, it shouldn't be a problem to take the SAT 4 times will it? Also, I took my first SAT as a sophomore which most people don't do (so maybe unis. won't look down on it so much??). What I'm worried even more about is universities deciding to average my score--which wouldn't look so good.</p>
<p>What do you guys suggest I do. I am really confused at the moment and i need you help. </p>
<p>to be quite honest, that SAT account is going to ruin much of your chances with MIT and stanford. even if you're progressing, 4 tries of the SAT is quite a stretch, especially since your progress is obviously made through studying and not an actual indicator of your intellect, the latter being the real reason adcoms want to look at your SATs. they don't care how much you studied to improve your scores. your actual ability is best indicated by your first or second tries, and for colleges as selective and popular as MIT and Stanford they'd get to choose among those who get 2200s without breaking a sweat.</p>
<p>Have you tried the ACT? By not listing colleges to send a report to, you can try both tests and then decide which one to send. It's more money to do it this way, but it may work out.</p>
<p>yea i've never listed colleges to send reports to (yet). But is ACT treated equally to SAT?? I've never even thought about doing ACT. </p>
<p>Also, would it appear weird to universities if my SAT scores are 1980, 1990, and then 2300?? Or is their just some "college worker drone"/secretary that gives the best scores to the adcoms (basically without adcoms even seeing the scores)?</p>
<p>Thanks for your help guys! I'm seriously thinking about canceling now...too bad an 800 verbal would have been nice :(</p>
<p>Have you not even received your SAT score yet? You have no reason to cancel scores. And the reply in post #2 badly misstates the way MIT or Stanford look at SAT scores. See </p>
<p>High school students LEARN during high school, which is why no one in a college admission office will be surprised that you took an SAT I test again after getting a score that you thought was too low for getting into your college of choice. You will likely do better in May (you get your scores in a matter of days, don't you?) and if you really, truly thought it was a good use of your time to take the test once more as a senior, that wouldn't be unusual and definitely wouldn't be a problem.</p>
<p>Post #2 is dead wrong. There are plenty of applicants who get accepted to Stanford and MIT that took the SAT four times, including my DD for the former. And, yes, the ACT is the equivalent of the SAT for Stanford - I don't know about MIT.<br>
Have you taken the SAT IIs? Stanford strongly encourages that you take them.</p>
<p>If there is real possibility to improve (and you are dedicated to doing so), I see no issues with taking the SAT four times. Three is preferrable, in my opinion, but it really isn't a big deal. That said, the more times you take it after three, the more you are pushing it. I would recommend against taking for a fifth time, and let's not even talk about more than that. </p>
<p>I would also recommend trying out the ACT--I know kids with large gaps (real, honest (cross my heart, hope to die) example: 35 ACT, 2090 SAT. I think you can guess which score was submitted!!) between the two. </p>
<p>Also, it would of course behoove you to look at other great engineering schools (including some state schools) where the door is open just a little bit wider than at MIT and Stanford, but that is always the case, no matter how excellent one's SAT scores are.</p>
<p>I recommend taking the ACT as well. Almost every college in the United States that has testing requirements will accept the ACT in place of the SAT (and require to still take the 2 or 3 SAT IIs) or in place of the SAT and the SAT IIs (UPenn and Brown do the latter). </p>
<p>It's in your best interest to prepare for the ACT and take it. Some people do better on it than the SAT and others do worse. You don't know, so you might as well try. However, the ACT puts higher level material in a more straightforward way, just a warning. I do better on the ACT than I do on the SAT, and I plan on taking it in June.</p>
<p>yeah, I agree with the above post. I see a lot of people, parents included are so proud of the fact that their kids did not prep. If you take a test at school, do you prep? If yes, then you should for any tests. Nobody will ask the question did this person prep or not prep when they look at the SAT scores, students are leaving too much to chance by not preppping, knowing welll ahead that colleges do look at these scores. Preparation is key to anything in life, but don't be so disappoint if the SAT scores did not turn out well, after all it's just a score, you may have a bad day and that is why you get to take it a few times.</p>
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Nobody will ask the question did this person prep or not prep when they look at the SAT scores, students are leaving too much to chance by not prepping, knowing well ahead that colleges do look at these scores.
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<p>Yes. I have been told that years ago there was at least one famous professional school that asked on its application form if the applicant had taken a test-prep course before taking the admission test for that kind of professional school. Now the school doesn't bother to ask: these days admission officers don't care at all how you get your scores, as long as your scores indicate readiness to do the academic work at the school.</p>
<p>tokenadult, I don't mean test prep center when I'm talking about prep. I'm talking about buying a few books and prep so one can be familiar with the test formats.</p>
<p>Oh, yes, I'm agreeing with you that one might just as well be ready for any test that one takes. I advise young people to find one of the College Board books with actual released SAT I tests at a public library and practice with those for a while. But, anyway, prep or not, the result is what the colleges look at, not how the student got ready before the test.</p>