Respectfully

So I just got my October Physics Subject scores back today.

I did not have them sent to MIT because I didn't feel I did that well, turns out I got a 710.

I am also taking Physics in November, and those scores are being sent.

What are some thoughts on whether or not I should send the 710 now or not at all?

PiperXP

I believe Collegeboard sends all previous SAT II scores along with whatever new one you're taking. If this is still the case, you're probably fine waiting until November because both scores will be sent.

(Or you could punt the November testing. A 710 is a perfectly good score.)

littlemikey4

if you're prepping and know you'll do better don't even both sending cause 710 won't help you at all but if you want to send it wouldn't hurt you either

littlemikey4

@ Piper
Collegeboard has a score choice policy that was instated this year which is why everyone is asking which scores to send at all that jazz

Respectfully

Piper: I used the new ScoreChoice system to have them not send the October one (I was expecting around 650, but I guess I underestimated the curve). So maybe I'll just send the October one today, and have the November sent too. Is there a way to notify them (MIT admissions) that they should await another test score in the same category?


Mikey: I am prepping, but I feel like 710 is a fine enough score to just send, and then notify MIT that another Physics subject is coming....?

Thanks for the thoughts so far.

neuron39

As has been stated many times in this and other forums, a score of 700 or better on any SAT subtest or SAT-II subject is looked at by the adcoms as evidence you can do the work at MIT; it gets you serious consideration. Taking a test multiple times with a result of 10-20 extra points just makes you look obsequious.

k4r3n2

You could also not take the November subject test and just send your October scores...not having to wake up on another Saturday morning might be worth losing your testing fee.

kiruyama

what if I got a fairly low score (low 600s) on a subject test the first time, but improved it a ton (high 700s) the second time around? Should I just send in all of my scores?

kemcab

710 is fine. I would send it anyway even if you take it later because you might as well take advantage of the included score reports since they only look at your best anyway. If you take it again later and you improve, that's even better.

Djokovic

yea.. I wouldn't pay another $40 to those greedy college board idiots. I am so over College's BS

feuxfollets

Yep, score choice is the most ingenious money-making scheme ever.

Respectfully

Okay so basically, I'm gonna send the 710. And take the November test (its getting sent for free regardless, and they take the better score anyway).

I just need to figure out how to notify the Admissions office that there is another coming later (email, I assume)?

Djokovic

Emailing should work...

dementedwombat

I got a 710 in Physics too. In my case it wasn't because I couldn;'t do it, it was because our physics course never went over that information. We didn't do much electric/magnetism stuff. Shame because that was the most common question on the test. My dad's an electrician so I picked up on the basic volts/amps/ohms stuff but the theoretical stuff tripped me up.

My favorite question was: a piece of metal wire in (a square) shape is passed through a magnetic field. What kind of current will be produced in the wire.

kemcab

I took it before I finished my first semester of Physics and got a 760. I think the best thing that helped was to look over a practice test or two and go over the basic concepts behind it for comprehension since the class didn't cover a lot of the stuff that was on it.

That was pretty easy though: usually all you have to remember is V = IR and how to add up capacitances and resistances on series and parallel circuits. The magnetism stuff was a bit more confusing, I admit.