<p>So I just got my Decembe Reasoning scores, and it's not looking too good.</p>
<p>M 800
W 700
CR 650
Composite 2150</p>
<p>I was sort of expecting somewhere in the early-mid 2200s, but I KNOW I can do SO much better in both writing and critical reading, but the problem here is that I have mediocre SAT Subject Test scores as well (720 in Chem, 700 in Math). I was planning to take Lit and Math (and maybe Spanish) in January but I'm now hesitating. I'm applying to Penn, Williams, Amherst, Columbia, Duke, Chicago for major in Social Sciences.</p>
<p>Retake the Reasoning Test. SAT IIs are a very important, often overlooked admissions factor. However, the SAT I is THE most important admissions factor, by far. (Unless you count race).</p>
<p>However, make sure you make the best of this attempt. A 2200 is still not very competitive for those schools, so study hard and aim high. Luckily for you, all of those schools superscore: therefore you can just focus on W and CR and forget M. </p>
<p>One thing that's odd though: you want to major in social sciences but you took SAT IIs in Math and Chemistry? You might want to switch your prospective major, if it's not too late. Even if you have no intention in majoring in Math or Chemistry you want that cohesiveness--800M SAT, etc.</p>
<p>Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Since I'm an int'l, the only humanities subjects I could take were limited to Lit and World History, but now I can't take WH anymore (missed June and December). So the only option open is Lit, which I'll have to take in January if I don't take the Reasoning. </p>
<p>And the thing about major is that almost ALL of my major ECs reflect my passion in social sciences. But you know what? My prospective major is Economics; so I guess Math kinda fits into that nicely.</p>
<p>So would retaking the Reasoning again in January be more beneficial in my situation?</p>
<p>Yep. Study hard though, because some of those schools (Columbia especially) is not need-blind toward int'lls. Gonna need the highest SAT score you can get.</p>
<p>Yes, actually, I am quite blind. But thanks to your bold font I can see now!</p>
<p>Anywayz, no it's not. The only scenario your transcript would play a bigger role than your SATs is if you come from one of the most rigorous, prestigious private school in the country. Barring that, colleges are quite aware of the rampant grade inflation in the majority of High Schools. Even in these boards you can see how many people have 4.0s and poor SAT scores--and these boards have a massive over-representation of students from rigorous private schools.</p>