Hello, I moved to America just a year ago and English is my 2nd language. I got 1240 (500 on CR, 740 on M) from the SAT last year. I retook the exam just 3 months later and I got 1300 (520 on CR, 780 on M). I’m taking the exam one last time tomorrow and I feel like I will get a 1350-1400 which is still under my goal. As you can see my Math is good, it was my English score that lowered my overall score. I took an AP class last year and I had straight A+'s. I’m taking 3 more AP classes this year. I want to get to top colleges and the problem I’m having is just something I can’t control and I need more time for that. Do you know if colleges tolerate these problems?
I think that this depends upon your definition of “top colleges”. There are a LOT of very good universities and colleges in the US (and more outside the US). Your relatively low English SAT score is likely to hurt you at the top 20 or 30 schools. However, your very strong math score will help, as will your great grades and GPA. As such you should be fine at a wide range of “top 100” schools, which are all still very good schools.
For most STEM subjects, there is no need to go to a “top 20” school – there are plenty of jobs for graduates from a “top 200” school. As such, I think that you will do well.
By the way: What is your status in the US? If you have a permanent resident visa, then you are considered the same as a US citizen for university admission and financial aid. If you have neither US citizenship nor permanent resident status, then financial aid will be hard to come by, depending upon the state where you live you might or might not have in-state status at in-state public universities, and the cost of education in the US might be very high.
No, it is never good to have low SAT/ACT score.
Thank you for the reply. I have an American citizenship because I was born in America, but I didn’t grow up here. Now, I live in New York and I’m planning to go to a college in New York because I heard that colleges are more expensive when you go out of state.
I am also taking the ACT in 3 weeks and I have accommodations for the test (an English-Turkish dictionary and no time limit). I did some practice tests and I got scores between 30 and 34. Does a high ACT score positively effect my application, or is the affect of my English grade will be the same? I have a lot of things to put in my application, such as recommendation letters from my teachers and the library I volunteered at, 3 Subject Test scores, AP classes and GPA. It’s like everything is good except that English Test. I don’t want it to “ruin” everything.
If by “top school” you mean the most selective schools – Columbia or Cornell, for example – yes, a low SAT in CR may hurt your application. That’s what selective schools do: they select carefully, and the competition is enormous. However, it sounds like you have the stats for many wonderful schools, in NY and elsewhere. I’m sure if you apply intelligently – to a variety of schools that include “safeties” you like – you will do well come admissions time.
Do you mean do they get a break simply for being international and not having English as a native language? Then, no. The language of instruction for US colleges is English, so schools expect that accepted students will be able to hit the ground running in English.
Then you are not an international applicant. So that, at least, is the good news, since acceptance rates for international students are lower than domestic applicants for top colleges.
it will be tolerated if you are a legacy applicant, meaning that your family has contributed to the university a very substantial amount.
Take the TOEFL to emphasize how you learned English in the US.
If you score well on the ACT, you can submit that INSTEAD of the SAT. A 32-34 is exceptional (top 2%-top 1%) and you could apply anywhere, but always include safeties (if you scored 32, apply to SUNY Albany and New Paltz/Oswego/Cortland/Oneonta.)
Also, see if you can apply through HEOP/EOP. If you qualify financially, your scores even if low in English would indeed be overlooked at top schools in NYS.
Finally, being instate only matters for public universities. What’s your parents’ income, roughly?
Some private universities offer very generous financial aid to students whose parents make less than 75k a year - for example, Colby, Connecticut College, Mount Holyoke (girls only) and of course top 25 universities/LACs.
Alright, I just wanted to give you guys an update if you’re interested. I got a 1390 (M:800 CR: 590) on the last SAT I took (my guess was accurate). However, I also took the ACT the next month like MYOS1634 told me to. I prepared for that one with the help of my school adviser. I got a 33! I am applying to 8 colleges. 2 of them are SUNY, and I applied for the financial aid as well. Thanks for taking the time to help me. I appreciate it.
That’s TERRIFIC!!
With a 33, as long as you do a decent job on your SUNY essays, you have a shot at all SUNYs, but in addition you have a shot pretty much at all universities in the country. I would apply to a couple more SUNYs (Bing and Geneseo, plus either Buffalo or Stony Brook, and do apply for Honors College whenever possible), then add whatever you want. 
Some colleges are free to apply so you could apply there as additional matches or as safeties you like better than SUNYs.