parents.. please, I'm seeking your advice!

[thatsme]

<p>I just took the November SAT, the international version, which was exactly the same as the June 2004 demostic version. After going back to the june archives and comparing my answers, i find that i did not do as well as i wanted to. I took the Oct one as well, and got 1450, 690 v, and 760 m. I am also applying ED to princeton. My concern is, i think there is a good chance that i did worse on the verbal. Should i cancel my score? People did say that the verbal for my test is harder than normal..... </p>

<p>i am so frustrated because the test was not a good indicator of how i did at all! I only had around 3 days to study for this one after sending my app on Nov 1st. my sat 2 scores are 74p wr, 800 for math 2 and chem, and 780 for phy. I REALLY REALLY want to get into princeton ED. and i worked so hard to get everything ready! i don't want a bad/drop in sat mark to hurt my chance.. arg..</p>

<p>I've been given very good advice from many of you in the past, could you please let me know what you think and what you'd tell you son to do if he were in my situation? would you advise him to cancel the score?</p>

<p>Thank you very much!</p>

[ticklemepink]

<p>Chill. Princeton will only take the highest scores. So if you did worse this time around, they'll just use the 690, not the November score. They won't put it against you.</p>

[thatsme]

<p>i know that they SAY they look at the highest score, but will a drop in verbal ..... im just worried about the drop in verbal...</p>

[ticklemepink]

<p>That happens all the time. Tests are seriously by chances. Just trust their word. They're just trying to look at you in the best light. The only time they'll be concerned with any dropping numbers is on your transcript. Not tests.</p>

[thatsme]

<p>i see... hmm.. anyone else mind commenting on this? there is a 60% chance that i will get lower on the verbal. I heard the math curve is very harsh, too. since this is the same as the june 04 test, people who took it say that one wrong for math - 780 and 3 wrongs - 720... so i am really not sure anymore...</p>

[thumper1]

<p>OK...parent advice here. Try to relax and realize that what you are describing is out of your control at this point. Your application is already sent. You already took the SAT. At this point whatever will be will be. I know that sounds simplistic, but the reality is this really IS not something you can do anything about so it is not worth fretting about. You will either get accepted or you won't get accepted. No amount of fretting or worrying will change that. And keep in mind that getting accepted at Princeton, for even students with perfect SAT scores, is not guaranteed. And students who don't have perfect SAT scores also do get accepted.</p>

[thatsme]

<p>yeah i know there is not much i can do. But i did take it in OCT, and got 1450, so i am just debating if i should cancel this score or not, for it might be lower than last time.</p>

[soozievt]

<p>It does not matter if it is lower. They TRULY take your highest score. If I were reading your app, I would jot down the basic stuff on the folder, and for instance, when it came down to test scores, I would ONLY note the highest scores. Truly, that's what they do. You have nothing to lose here. If you don't cancel and your score went down, so what...you have a great score in that 1450! If you cancel and it makes ya feel better, nothing to lose once again! You still have that 1450 (plus some very fine SAT2 scores). Frankly I would not cancel because there is a chance you went up but it is a moot point because bottom line, you have a 1450 and that is what will count, should the score have gone down. They do not care that the first sitting was higher than the second. For my kids, the second sitting was higher than the first but the only thing that actually mattered was the higher score, no matter which sitting it was or in some kids' cases, they take the highest Verbal from one sitting and highest math from another (my kids the highest were in one sitting but who cares?). </p>

<p>I don't know your entire "stats" to evaluate your chances at Princeton but I can tell you that the part you have posted thus far here, puts you in the ballpark in terms of scores. Don't sweat this aspect. </p>

<p>Princeton will be difficult odds for anyone, don't forget. But this one factor of yours is fine. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

[mini]

<p>Don't worry - they'll have plenty of other reasons not to accept you if that's what they decide to do. (actually, they don't decide to reject you at all - they decide there are other people that are more likely to meet their institutional needs in building a class. They are NOT about rejections, but about acceptance. Rejection is merely a byproduct) An international's chances at HYP, generally speaking, are a little under 3%. Triple it if you like for ED. Double it again because you are a fine applicant. Add some because your essays are terrific. You are still looking at 1 in 4. </p>

<p>I hope you get in. Really do. Chances are you won't, and it won't have anything to do with you, really. Where else are you planning to apply?</p>

[scott723]

<p>The colleges will never see your last SAT score if you do not send it to them. So...you can immediately send your scores now before collegeboard has graded this last score (2 weeks after the date you took the test). Then when the score comes in you can decide if you want to send them this last score. In short, the colleges get the scores of all the tests you took up to the date you send the score. If you did not list them to automatically get the scores when you registered for the test, they will not recieve then unless you specifically request them to be sent. Clearly this will only work if you do not plan to take any further tests.</p>