<p>So I've recently finished a hellish Junior year, but I'm a bit concerned about my Math II score that I took during Sophomore year. I hear that for a math/science major in "higher tier"* Universities, 800 would be considered "good"*, but is it worth retaking in October if I scored a 760?</p>
<p>To give you guys a little more context regarding my mathy side, I got As in Calc BC and Physics B both semesters, and I felt like I got 5s on the BC, Physics B, and both Physics C AP exams (but still.. fingers crossed!). Also I took the Physics SAT II this year, and got a 790. </p>
<p>I’d say it really depends on where you want to go. For most schools, 750+ is a good score. But if you’re looking at top-tier schools/top engineering/math/science schools, an 800 is ALMOST the norm. If you look at the distribution of Math II scores, you’ll notice that a significant number of students score at 800. And these students are the ones who apply to the top schools. So if you’re looking for top schools, go ahead, retake it. If you’re not a math-ey science-y or engineer-y student or are not planning or applying to the big names, then your 760 is perfectly fine as it is.</p>
<p>If you’ll notice, an 800 on Math II places you in the 91st percentile, which evens out to about 1 in 10 students scoring an 800. At 760, your percentile drops to 82, or about 1 in 5 students scoring at or higher than 760.</p>
<p>^I got 800 on Math II and it said I was in the 85th or 86th percentile (something like that). But yeah, it depends on the major. If you’re looking for math/engineering major at the top schools, anything below an 800 could be less than satisfactory.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard, many institutions, including schools like MIT, take a look at your SAT Subject Test scores but don’t pour over percentile charts for your app. It’s just not feasible for them (given thousands of apps). </p>
<p>After a 750, even they know that 20 points can be a matter of 1 or 2 questions. I’d say just relax and focus on more important aspects of your app.</p>