<p>I know that there is the Presidential Scholar Award for getting a perfect score on the SATs, and only ~240 people get to this level per year, but is it really as perfect as it seems? To break it down by section:</p>
<p>Critical Reading - You can get 2 wrong (none ommited) and still obtain an 800.</p>
<p>Math - There have been tests, despite this curve being the harshest, where 1 wrong can still get you an 800.</p>
<p>Writing - The easiest curve by far; you can get anywhere from a 74/12 to an 80/9 (MC subscore/essay score) and still land an 800.</p>
<p>Granted, only a combined 5-6 wrong on a test with over 150 questions is still impressive, but people who make the 800s this way do so by virtue of a curve, not from truly getting a 100% on the test. So, the 2400 is not as "perfect" of a score as people make it to be.</p>
<p>^Eh, take it for what it is...I mean, it could be I'm just bitter over missing the 1600/2400 mark by a few points, because if I got a perfecto in the same way I probably would be saying "omgz! perfect lol!!!" So even if my analysis is completely off, you can at least (hopefully) use this as a morale booster if you were one of those people in the 1500s/2300s range.</p>
<p>240 kids out of all the people who take the SAT is an insanely small percentage.... So in the most literal sense of the term, you don't have to be "perfect" to get a 2400, but even with the curve, a 2400 is extremely rare, and definitely not overrated</p>
<p>The curves you posted seem a little off, at least for me. For writing I got 3 wrong on the multiple choice and a 12 on the essay and got a 760 (multiple choice score was 72). For reading I got 3 wrong and got a 760 too.</p>
<p>As a person who went CR 65/67, Math 54/54, and WR 76/12 = 2400, I can tell you that I feel really offended by your inane arguments and jealousy, piccolo. I hate you as if you were a broken toe.</p>
<p>Actually, in all seriousness, I think the 2400 is pretty overrated. I think that if you get a 2350+, CB should just give you a "2400." That would spice up admissions, now wouldn't it?</p>
<p>Not 'overrated' at all.. this 2400 still puts you at the top of the pack for all people who took the SATs on a specific date.</p>
<p>Also I guess the evil-minded CollegeBoard thinks that at least a few people should get a perfect score on every SAT...otherwise the number would be too small..</p>
<p>Also one thing we must remember is that many get '2400's' through super-scoring.. so the number will seem higher than 240. </p>
<p>My opinion is though that for college admissions I would rather have a 1600/2250 than a 1500/2300 ((M+CR)/(M+CR+W))..</p>
<p>Now the Writing section is overrated, :D.
Of course having high scores on all three sections are best... but those with high math/critical reading scores but mediocre writing scores.. tend to fare much better in college admissions than those with high writing scores and low math/critical reading.. despite a similar composite score.</p>