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07-05-2008, 01:11 PM
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#1 | | New Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 14
| This is not a "Wow my kid is so smart, now tell me again and again" retake question
I have a '09 son, 2nd in class of abt 950 and applying to top engineering schools. Took the PSAT last fall and scored 222. S then took the ACT twice, one nat'l and one part of our IL state achievement tests, and got a 35 both times. (Once straight 35's across the board and the other 2-36's and 2-34's) He then took the May Sat and got a 2150, which is a fine score, but his math score was a 680. He is my first and I want him to have the opportunities he deserves (He is such a dedicated student and hard worker) would it be in his best interest to take the SAT again in Oct? What about subject tests? The only reason I worry at all about this score is that it is in Math and he wants to be an engineer.
I read so many of these posts and the questions are just not-so-subtle-ego-boost attempts, please know this is not. I am brand new to the admissions process and want to know at the end of the day that we did all we could to help him. Any advice would be much appreciated. | 
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07-05-2008, 01:22 PM
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#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Windham, NH
Posts: 1,406
| Sure, why not? If I were your kid, though, I'd take Math Level 2 subject test. That's more interesting to engineering schools anyway. | |
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07-05-2008, 01:59 PM
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#3 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Georgia
Posts: 59
| He can take it again and again and again if he really wants to.... If you're choosing between the SAT, SATII, and ACT, he should definitely take the Math II subject test and a science one for that line of work. I'd say take those and then maybe the SAT again if that's what he wants. | |
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07-05-2008, 02:13 PM
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#4 | | New Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 14
| Do you think that schools will look at his current math SAT score as an anomaly, given his ACT scores, or do you think he has to take it again to prove himself? | |
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07-05-2008, 02:52 PM
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#5 | | New Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 19
| If you have the time and energy to do so, I would recommend that he take the SAT again in order to boost his Math score. Engineering schools like to see strong SAT 1 Math and SAT Subject Math Level 2 scores.
If you were only going to focus on one, then focus on the SAT Subject test though. 680 is still a great score! | |
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07-05-2008, 03:15 PM
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#6 | | Super Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: MN
Posts: 11,281
| If he's interested in engineering, he should take the SAT Subject Test Math Level 2 anyway, and that will remove all doubt about his math ability if he scores well on that. No need for an SAT retake with ACT scores like that; colleges consider your best scores in each applicable category of tests. The best engineering schools want SAT Subject Test scores, so take those. | |
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07-06-2008, 12:28 PM
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#7 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 181
| So mommyo's son would send in the SAT I, SAT II's AND the ACT? The schools then will look at the ACT (if is it higher than the SAT I) and his SAT II scores. Is this right? | |
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07-06-2008, 01:50 PM
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#8 | | Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 702
| Like tokenadult said, use ACT scores and take MATH II SAT II. He is in great shape. | |
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07-06-2008, 07:56 PM
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#9 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 181
| Sorry-I must be dense today-so the ACT and the SAT II's should go but the SAT I will automatically be sent with the SAT II's --right? | |
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07-06-2008, 07:58 PM
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#10 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 276
| Having had conversations about admissions with those involved, specifically at MIT, there's a good chance a poor SAT score will kill an application. Granted, a 2150 is going to get their attention, and a 680 math isn't terrible, but in general it does happen - if the SAT is below a certain threshold, the application is more or less tossed aside immediately. | |
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07-06-2008, 08:04 PM
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#11 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 163
| He probably got a 36 or 35 on the math section of the ACT-I would think they would look at that and skip the SAT 680-he should take the SAT II (math and another science) | |
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07-06-2008, 08:25 PM
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#13 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 276
| My physics teacher worked for MIT, so primarily him.
While I can appreciate Matt's blog (and yes, I've read that entry before), you still have to face the fact that the admissions committee discounts applications based on SAT scores, and for good reason. MIT will always tell you that you have nothing to worry about if you have a decent SAT score, and that's true - they use it as a baseline, where you have to be incredible everywhere else on your application to overcome a poor SAT, but everyone above a 2100-2200 is considered competitive and the SAT score analysis stops there for them. | |
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07-06-2008, 09:13 PM
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#14 | | Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 513
| I think the SAT II math scor is way more important. Have you ever seen the math questions on the SAT I? I'm a humanities person and I think it is easy (granted, i get around 680-720, not 800)! I would imagine MIT would care about harder math, especially AP Calc BC, AP Physics C, and SAT II math 2 | |
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