Should I Retake a 760 on Math 2??

scottt23 · July 11

Hello! I'm a rising senior and I just received my SAT Subject Test scores back from June 2019, and I was concerned with my results. I saw that I got a 760 on Math 2, which equates to the 63rd percentile. I'd taken precalculus for the year prior, and recieved very high grades in the class. While I am not looking to major in STEM (prospectively international relations/political science), I have also been considering majoring in economics. My dream schools are Yale, Princeton and UPenn. Should I retake my Math 2 subject test if I'm aiming to get into these schools? FWIW, I also got a 1550 on my SAT, a 790 on World History subject test and an 800 on US History. Thanks so much!

MWolf · July 11

The reason that a 760 is at the 63% percentile is because only people who are really good at math take Math II. It is similar to the fact that 43% of the kids who take AP Calc BC get a 5, while only 19% of the kids who take only AP Calc AB get a 5, even though it's only about half the material of BC. For Math II, even a perfect score is only the 79th percentile.

You are in the top 37th percentile of the kids with the strongest math skills.

So no, I wouldn't recommend that you take it again, though others may have a different take.

RichInPitt · July 12

As almost all schools require/request two Subject Tests or fewer, and you have an 800 and 790 on your record, I see no reason to take it again. Especially given a non-STEM application.

scottt23 · July 12

Thanks so much for your responses! @RichInPitt in this case should I still report my Math 2 score and would it matter that the other 2 subjects are both history/humanities?

RichInPitt · July 13

I probably still would. Worst case, they ignore it because they only look at 2. But that's a very good score for non-STEM applicants, so I think it would be beneficial if factored in. Neutral at worst.

Should I Retake a 760 on Math 2??

Replies to: Should I Retake a 760 on Math 2??

Recent Activity