<p>760 Writing 770 Math 680 Critical Reading 2210
800 Biology 790 History 760 Math II
5 AP Calculus, Biology, History
ACT:31
Class Rank: 2
4.25 GPA</p>
<p>President of Key Club
Vice President of Mu Alpha Theta
Research Publication
Hopeful Commended Scholar
Cambridge College Program
Founder of Islamic Youth Program
Varsity Soccer 4 years</p>
<p>Do I need to retake my SAT to improve CR, SAT II to improve Math II? Should I retake my ACT to improve or not send it? Also, a student in my school is applying to same schools as me with a 34 ACT, 780 B, 800 WH, 800 M2 and has yet to take his SAT.</p>
<p>Wow typical CCer.</p>
<p>Retake only the SAT or the ACT, and then just submit one. I would recommend retaking the SAT if you’re going to do one, because your scores for that are already really good and the only portion you need to improve is the CR. It’s not really necessary to retake the SATII, unless you’re positive that you were having a bad day and really ought to have gotten 800. xP</p>
<p>The difference between you and the other student is more likely to come in through essays and ECs than test scores, I wouldn’t hyperventilate over it.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. Any other takers?</p>
<p>Where are you applying and under what major?</p>
<p>Major:Biomedical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Biology
Pre Med</p>
<p>Harvard
Princeton
Yale
Brown
Stanford
Dartmouth
Cornell
Johns Hopkins
Duke
UPenn
Amherst
Williams
Rice</p>
<p>I certainly hope you’re planning on applying to some safety schools as well. Those are 13 pretty difficult schools to get into!</p>
<p>Harvard: 20%
Princeton: 25%
Yale: 25%
Brown: 40%
Stanford: 25%
Dartmouth: 40%
Cornell: 50%
Johns Hopkins: 50%
Duke: 45%
UPenn: 40%
Amherst: 40%
Williams: 40%
Rice: 50%</p>
<p>All of these are reaches or slight reaches. I would make sure to add a couple high matches (middlebury, bowdoin, vanderbilt, emory, etc), some matches (colgate, and the like) and a couple safeties.</p>
<p>I’m sure you’re misinterpreting those percentages! For example, 40% of all applicants to Amherst and Williams do NOT get accepted. Just two examples.</p>
<p>Maybe that means 40% of those accepted say “Yes, I’m packing my bags for you.” (Yield)</p>
<p>You noted Harvard as 20% but in terms of what you think could be your reach v. safety, I think you want the stat that registers in a single digit.</p>
<p>Review your entire list; those percentages in the above posting don’t agree with the main idea of your OP. You sound like a top student, but even so.</p>
<p>Whoops I read the SAT wrong. I thought the OP had a 1530 M+V, he actually has a 1450. I would retake the SAT for sure. Given my misunderstanding, my chances were too generous. Chances with the current SAT (note chances will go up significantly with a 760 CR):</p>
<p>Harvard: <10%
Princeton: 10%
Yale: 10%
Brown: 25%
Stanford: 15%
Dartmouth: 25%
Cornell: 40%
Johns Hopkins: 40%
Duke: 30%
UPenn: 25%
Amherst: 25%
Williams: 25%
Rice</p>
<p>make sure you check whether some of the smaller schools – Amherst, Williams – offer what you want. Neither has an engineering major per se.</p>
<p>And I agree with others: You need some matches and safeties. Too many kids apply only to reaches and come spring find themselves without a school to go to in September</p>
<p>Reaches are great, but you need a solid mix. Lets assume you do really well and get a 750 CR, for a total of 2280 (btw, don’t send in the 31 ACT, it will bring you down). I’d say you should have a list like this:</p>
<p>2 higher reach schools: (HYPS)
3-4 reach/ slight reach schools…your best bet to get into a reach, so beef up here (Dartmouth, Penn, Brown, Amherst, Duke, Williams, Brown)
3 slight reach schools (Cornell, JHU, Rice)
2-3 higher match schools (Middlebury, Bowdoin, Tufts, Emory, etc)
2 match schools (BC, Wake Forest)…these are practically your safeties
1 Safety (state school?)</p>
<p>You still are applying to lots of reaches, but you’re bet is covered in case they don’t work out.</p>
<p>Sorry I did not list my safeties. Those schools were just possible choices.
Georgia Tech
University of Alabama,Auburn,Birmingham
Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>I thought the percentages would be higher than that. I guess I will be retaking the SAT to improve my CR presuming they superscore?</p>
<p>Do they really look at the writing with any value?</p>