<p>I'm a current HS junior
I have a 4.0 GPA
Challenging courses throughout high school (Honors, AP's etc), including next year
ECS: NHS, Varsity Tennis (3 yrs), Key Club (3 yrs), Ambassador Club, Performing Arts (3 yrs)
I volunteer at my local children's hospital and hope to write a KILLER essay about my rough home life the past 4 years </p>
<p>However, I took the SAT and here were my scores:
CR: 620
W: 610
M: 470
Composite: 1700</p>
<p>I know my CR/W were pretty average but the math totally tore me apart. I'm retaking it again next week and will do again in the fall and probably again if I need to. I'm taking the test until I'm tired route (Not like my mom's going to continue to pay- I'll have to pay for my tests from my part time job)</p>
<p>I'm just really upset with my scores. I've been prepping and hope to raise them but I'm just an awful standardized test taker. I'm really nervous that I won't get into the schools that I want to (USC, UCLA, Northeastern, BU, some really big name schools- I do have safeties too) because I can't take a standardized test. I'm so stressed about it. I've worked so hard and I don't want to lose everything because of my SAT. </p>
<p>Do you think that this could break me? I've looked into schools and they all want scores in the 2000's hopefully I'll be able to raise my math score some but I'm not expecting much and then I'll be able to add 40-50 points in my English... I know I can pick my best scores and all but if I sent in the scores I had would I be rejected because of them?</p>
<p>I know colleges look at more than numbers but would having those numbers on an application cause the schools I really want to get into to reject me?</p>
<p>Man, you and I are in the exact same boat. Except mine were a little worse, but I’m not trying to get into those schools. 3.88/4.0 GPA, top 3% of my class etc, etc, but BAM a 1590 on the SAT. Do remember though, that at almost every school, 3 years of work > 3 hours of 1 day. Now at the top fancy schools like BU, UCLA, etc, they’ll definitely need you to get that score up around the 1900-2000 range. Most people do better on the second time they take the SAT because they’re less nervous, know what to expect and all that. What do you want to major in? If it’s something specific like engineering or something, your math score will definitely keep you on the outside looking in at the top schools</p>
<p>@Etuck24 Thank you for your response! It really does stink, I just can’t standardize test and I don’t understand how schools believe that a performance on a test can predict performance in college. I’ve never actually thought of the 3 yrs > 3 hours so thanks I really like that! Hopefully I can gain at least 200-300 points especially in math. I’m planning on majoring in Communications- Public Relations, so I’m staying as far away from math as possible, it’s never been my strong suit. Although, I have done very well in my high school math courses, but that’s with a lot of extra effort going to help with my teachers. You can’t go and get help for the SAT’s, I mean I guess you could get a tutor but I really can’t afford that and you never know what questions are going to be thrown at you on test day. Thanks for your response though and good luck on your college search!</p>
<p>Take a look at a list of test-optional colleges and universities here: [SAT/ACT</a> Optional 4-Year Universities | FairTest](<a href=“http://fairtest.org/university/optional]SAT/ACT”>ACT/SAT Optional List - Fairtest). Many of them are kind of undistinguished, and a few of them are hardly colleges at all, but there are also plenty of well regarded colleges and universities, comparable to the ones you’re looking at, on the list.</p>
<p>@Sikorsky Thanks for the advice but I’d rather not go to an undistinguished school. I know that the schools I mentioned are really top name schools, but I’m looking at some that aren’t as competitive too those are just my absolute dream schools. I’m not going to go to school that doesn’t have a known reputation, it’s probably just personal but thank you.</p>
<p>@Sikorsky I just went through the list and THANK YOU! There are actually a few really reputable colleges in my state that don’t require SAT scores which I never knew about, so thank you! It’s definitely something to look into</p>
<p>@jvtDad I actually am planning on taking the ACT’s in June, do students usually do better on them? I actually did look at Sikorsky’s list before even looking at your response. There are some really reputable schools on it so I guess it’s always an option. But thank you.</p>
<p>Have you tried taking the ACT?</p>
<p>A 1700 definitely makes your 4.0 look like a product to grade inflation, but if you have AP scores or SAT2 scores to back it up (4’s + 5’s or 700+'s) you’re probably in better shape than you think. </p>
<p>How rigorous is your schedule? What is your school rated? What are you ranked? The answers to these questions will tell us if admission to the universities you listed are possible.</p>
<p>Kaitlyn, you’re welcome. Best of luck!</p>
<p>@cc123sb Hi! Thank you for your response. I don’t have any AP scores (yet) I’m taking my AP US History exam in a couple weeks as well as my AP English Composition. This year, besides my 2 AP courses (the only 2 offered to juniors at my school) I take Honors Latin III, Algebra II, Morality (req, Catholic school), and Honors Chemistry. </p>
<p>Next year I plan on taking AP Literary Explorations (AP Lit), Honors Pre-Calc, Psychology, Human Rights & Justice/Christian Leadership (again Catholic req.), and Honors Physics.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what my schools is rated actually, I know that it is known (around here at least) for its challenging academics, it’s a Catholic school so there’s only 78 kids in my class and I was ranked (as of January) as #14 but I’ve been told that I’ve moved up in the ranks since then. </p>
<p>I’m going to try the ACT in June as well as the SATII’s. Thank you because your response actually gave me some hope :)</p>
<p>May help to know your ethnicity. USC will be pretty difficult to be accepted to with a 1700 regardless though.</p>
<p>I think you have the potential to score a lot higher. Try taking practice tests under actual test conditions, and, once you’ve finished, you should study every question on the test - even the ones you got right. Try to understand why a certain answer is better than another. In the CR section, try finding textual support for your answer. In the math section, make sure you know precisely how you can get to the correct answer; be logical about the way you approach the problem, and read it carefully. Contrary to popular belief, test-taking should be fun! Enjoy yourself; enjoy the challenge of the math section, and find joy in the passages on the CR section. If you feel like you are torturing yourself, you won’t do as well as you can.</p>
<p>Standardized tests are actually about as good at prediciting how well someone will do in college as are grades. Your grades in college are based on large tests, not unrelenting tests, quizzes and homeworks - as they are in highschool. For this reason, the SAT may be a pretty good approximation of the college test-taking experience. Because there is such serious grade inflation occurring, particularly at private schools, they are important because they put grades into context. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>"Your grades in college are based on large tests, not unrelenting tests, quizzes and homeworks - as they are in highschool. For this reason, the SAT may be a pretty good approximation of the college test-taking experience. "</p>
<p>Except, you generally have a much better idea what you will be tested on, and not at the mercy of College Board for whatever version of the “general reasoning” test you’ll receive.</p>
<p>To OP,
I think if you try to practice by taking a lot of practice test (probably over the summer) then you should score much higher. Just try to become familiar with the test and the type of problems it typically asks. </p>
<p>As for taking the ACT instead, if you are having a real problem with the math sections of the SAT I’m not sure I would recommend the ACT. From what I understand, the ACT has a much stronger math/science focus and test the subjects much harder. </p>
<p>The UC’s care more about GPA, course rigor, grades, etc. than they do about standardized test scores. Still try to get your score up though.</p>
<p>There are many “distinguished” schools that are test optional, like Bowdoin.</p>
<p>@Seahawks506 Thanks for your response. I’m Caucasian.</p>
<p>We’re more alike then I thought other than GPA! I’m a little rough with math too and I don’t plan on taking anything path Statistics once I get to college. I go to a Catholic school too so all those required religion classes kind of block me for taking more electives and more advanced classes that colleges will really look at. Does your school have Honors religion classes? At mine I have to option to take Honors Philosophy instead of Christian Life Choices (I think that’s what they call it anyway XP).
Colleges other grads from your school went to might help a lot with rigor. If you have a decent amount of people getting in to Princeton, John Hopkins etc., it’s going to be safe to say that your school is rigorous. Private schools in my area don’t go up for ranking even if they’re better than high schools :/. Might be a district thing.
This may not be true but, my guidance counselor said that colleges tend to look a little less a SATs lately and there are some school that don’t require them at all. (some of my safeties are like that while they may not be the most distinguished like you’re looking for.)</p>
<p>Have you taken the ACT at home? The Princeton Review rep said if there is a huge score difference in your SAT(M&CR), it’s best to try the ACT. But do try it at home before taking it. It’s expensive to send multiple ACT scores(unlike the SAT).</p>
<p>@India2013 Thanks for your response. I’ve done courses and I’ve done practice tests. I’m continuing to do them now too. That’s what I thought about the ACT but I guess it’s worth a shot too right? I have to do whatever it takes to get into a good school. Thanks for your info on the UC’s of course I bet it’s a little tougher to get into the more competitive ones like UCLA and UCB, I’m trying. Thank you</p>