Would you retake a 2390?

Ali G · 04-13-2005, 04:27 PM

Assuming you could get a 2400 (and the 2390 was your first time).

Try to think about it, simple question?

haz · 04-13-2005, 04:44 PM

NO. Are you nuts? I have a 2230 (pending essay score) and I'm not retaking. The supposed average New SAT Score for Harvard (best composite scores) is about 2220 (based on an extrapolation of PR's numbers). Colleges would look down on you if you retook a 2390. You would be seen as a robot.

RyanZ · 04-13-2005, 04:45 PM

You did great. Don't waste your time with a retake.

Ali G · 04-13-2005, 04:49 PM

I'm almost certainly not going to, just seeing if CCers would make an argument for it.

ohnoes · 04-13-2005, 05:15 PM

There is no argument. Chances are much greater you would do worse than score perfect, anyway.

sagar_indurkhya · 04-13-2005, 05:16 PM

if you did, it would have a bad impression on colleges. you have to learn to let go when things are done. Makes you look desperate or perfectionist.

tetrahedr0n · 04-13-2005, 05:35 PM

How bout a slighly more logical question - should I retake a 2340 (but a 740/800/800 one) given that I'm certain I could do better on that 740 verbal.

Ali G · 04-13-2005, 05:38 PM

From the West Wing
(calm down btw, I was never seriously going to retake it)

STANLEY
What'd you get?

BARTLET
On the S.A.T.s?

STANLEY
Yeah.

BARTLET
You don't want to know.

STANLEY
You got double-800, didn't you?

BARTLET
I got 800/790. For the life of me, I can't imagine what I got wrong. Then I took them
again, and got 800/790. I mean, is it possible there was some sort of number-two pencil
anomaly that could've...?

STANLEY
Excuse me. I-I'm sorry to interrupt, uh... You got a 800/790 and took the test again?

BARTLET
Yeah, I know, it's a little... something.

STANLEY
It's a little something. Yeah.

...

BARTLET
Stanley thought it was weird that I took the SAT's again, too.

LEO
It is.

BARTLET
You don't think it's possible that the remaining answer was important?

LEO
No.

BARTLET
Really?

LEO
Yeah.

BARTLET
How the hell would you know? You got 1400.

drusba · 04-13-2005, 07:13 PM

Having a 2390 and retaking would be like Bush demanding a new election after he was declared the winner over Gore just to see if he could actually win. Only disaster awaits such a choice.

zach447 · 04-13-2005, 07:17 PM

No - if anything it's not worth the extra time and money. It shouldn't make a difference at all in college admissions, either - 2390 is still an incredible score, especially for the first time.

ilovemath314159 · 04-13-2005, 07:54 PM

tetrahedron! noo keep the score! it is so good

chitownstud · 04-13-2005, 08:17 PM

I completely agree with drusba - only disaster can come from a retake. I got a 2390 as well, and there is no way I would even consider a retake. There were 107 perfects in the country- you tied for 108. Isn't that good enough, considering 300,000+ took it?

paulhomework · 04-13-2005, 08:18 PM

2350: Don't even think about retaking
2300-2350: Most probably, a higher score won't help you much.

gigante · 04-13-2005, 08:38 PM

I highly doubt there is a school that will say your SAT in insufficient. If you got a decent GPA and a 2300+, you will have the same chance if it is a 2340 or a 2400 I think. They know that the difference is very few questions.

towerpumpkin · 04-13-2005, 08:47 PM

Some people even believe that a score slightly less than perfect (i.e. 1590 on the old scale) is superior because elite colleges love to say "we rejected _% 1600s," though I personally disagree.