cucumbermelon

Hiya! I just finished my junior year, during which i took the SAT twice.
January i received M660 CR800 and W650 for a total of 2130, March I improved in each section for a total of 2230 (M690, CR800, W740).
A few weeks ago, I went to my guidance counselor to ask her if i should consider taking the ACT. She told me I shouldn't but suggested I retake the SAT to "get that math score above a 700". I'm all confused now because I had debated retaking the SAT a lot after March and finally resolved not to. I go to a public NY highschool and while I don't have stellar grades (maybe a 3.6/3.7 GPA unweighted), I know for a fact my score is one of the highest in my class. I self-studied for my first two tests (probably not as much as I should have) and would plan to again if i were to retake.

I've pestered pretty much everyone I know with this question the past month. My friends all glare at me, my parents don't really know what i'm talking about and honestly, my counselor is a bit of an idiot. So what do you guys think? Should I retake in october? I really don't know what to do.

cucumbermelon

Oops, just checked, the January math was actually a 680

ahsmuoh

I can't imagine why you would take that over unless you are applying to elite tech schools like MIT - try the ACT - can't hurt to try once.

yodelo

2230 is a pretty good score already. Unless as ahsmuoh said, you are going to a top score you'll want to raise your low math score

div301

yeah, try the ACT it's not unheard of to get a 30+ score the first try it's IMO much easier than the SAT.

You can try to get that 700+ math score, but focus on the other parts of your app.

thesmiter

I am retaking the SAT for the exact same reason as you. Very, very strong CR and W scores, but with a math score of </= 700 - 790 CR and 800 W. I was advised by both CC and my friends to round out my SAT scores better, hopefully scoring >750 in Math to show that I am capable of all three subjects of the SAT.

If you've got the time, do it. If you don't have the time, it's not worth the time it takes to practice up to an 800.

annue15

I would suggest that you take it again IF you are planning to apply to elite colleges. It's funny, though, because I have the exact same scores (800CR, 690M, 740W) from March, and my counselor suggested that I retake just to bring up math! My score is the highest in the class, and people also got annoyed when I wondered if I should retake. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do so you can go the college you want!

oldfort

Your GPA is low for elite schools. By re-taking SAT again to get closer to 2400 is not going to compensate for your GPA. It may even hurt you because some colleges may wonder why your GPA is low relative to your test scores. To get into top 20 schools, you would need to be, at a minimum, top 10%, to be competitive, top 5%.

fogcity

The logic of the previous poster that getting a "high" SAT score can hurt you escapes me, as does the assumption that a 3.7 GPA is "low" in some absolute sense. High schools grading varies widely. It's impossible to say what is high and what is low devoid of the full context of the high school and its grading policy.

In practice your counselor will most likely manage your application process with the elite colleges on your list. Listen to what she says. She might be able to push you over the top.

oldfort

Someone who has high SAT scores and low GPA will appear to be a slacker. If OP were to come back to this thread, he probably would say he is not top 10%. Most public school GCs are clueless when it comes to top tier school application. His GC probably thinks if he could get over 700 on every subject then it could compensate for his not very stellar GPA.

OP would be better off in getting his GPA up senior year and focus on his essays, instead wasting time on SAT.

rodney

Not sure how anyone can assume that this particular student's GPA is low without context ( not saying it isn't but I don't have a crystal ball telling me where it puts the OP at his/ her Hs)

My D1 had a 3.65 UW GPA and was top 7%.......very similar test scores and was accepted to a couple of top schools back in 2008 ( not Ivies though; no interest)

oldfort

OP said his GPA wasn't stellar, most students know where they stand, no assumption on my part. If he was going to a competitive school and 3.7 was top 5-10%, he would have said so.

Rubytuesday2

It would depend on the schools you are interested in. Would you mind listing them? If some of them require/recommend SAT II's I would focus on them rather than retaking the SAT.

menloparkmom

"The logic of the previous poster that getting a "high" SAT score can hurt you escapes me, as does the assumption that a 3.7 GPA is "low" in some absolute sense. High schools grading varies widely. It's impossible to say what is high and what is low devoid of the full context of the high school and its grading policy."

I agree.

If a student received all B's his Freshman year, and all A's since then, he would then have a 3.75 GPA. To me that does not make him a "slacker". My DS was such a student, scored 2320 on the SAT's and got into many top colleges. I think that many colleges look beyond overall GPA, and rank [Princeton still says they do not look at freshman grades] and pay attention to an upward trend in grades. Many [ approx 40%] of applicants to top colleges also come from schools that do not rank [ this is especially true of students from many private HS's] but are not at a disadvantage re college admissions.
If the OP feel he CAN raise his math score, and he probably can, with more math under his belt, then he should go for it. DS raised his math score 50 pts the second time he took the SAT.

oldfort

he took the test twice already. Read his post.

If he is shooting for top 20, it won't be his test scores, but his GPA which would stand in his way. Even his school doesn't rank, his GC will check off on his LOR if he is top 1% or 10% of his class, and if he took most rigorous courses.