<p>So, my breakdown would be 630 CR(It was a lowest I have ever gotten even from my practice tests) , 690 M, 690 W first sitting. I’m trying for CMU and UCLA. Should I retake for the last time in December to at least hit a decent 700+ for all of them?</p>
<p>Previously posted by acewashere:
Yes.</p>
<p>If you think yiu can significantly improve then retake it.</p>
<p>I actually got 4 wrongs on the math section and 3 wrongs on the writing section with 9 essay. Has the curve always been this brutal?</p>
<p>Previously posted by acewashere:
The curve is what it is. It varies from one test date to the next.
On a related note, I’ll point out that if you answer every question correctly, the scaling doesn’t matter at all! :-)</p>
<p>Take the test at least a couple of times to see whether you can access more favorable scaling. If you do that, you’ll also gain the benefit of superscoring. That’s the best advice I can give.</p>
<p>If you’re trying to get into CMU, then yes, I recommend that you take it again.</p>
<p>I got a 2010 last January, a 2000 June 2013, and finally, a 2210 for the October test. You can definitely improve. Most people improve in the math section the most, if you practice it enough. The question type for the SAT is pretty much the same for every test. </p>
<p>Personally, I improved in CR the most (from a 630 in January to a 780 this October). I just read Times magazines and newspapers. I focused on the types of questions I typically got wrong in CR, such as the inference questions. I also studied the vocab a lot, which helped for the vocab sections and the passages. </p>
<p>For writing, I typically scored a 10 on essays. Just read past examples of the double digits essay scores and try to follow the template. I always get a couple of questions wrong for multiple choice, but if you read up on your grammar rules and know how to apply them, you should be fine for the multiple choice.</p>
<p>Bottom line, know why test makers are asking the questions. This allows you to contemplate the meaning of the question itself and the answers that follow. When I went back during my practice sessions for CR, especially for the passage based questions, I made sure I knew why test makers are asking those questions, so I was one step ahead. </p>
<p>Practice every day for a couple of hours. Make sure you go back to each section and review EXACTLY WHY you missed/skipped some questions. </p>
<p>My motto: Strategize (a study plan), practice, reflect, (change strategy if needed), and repeat.</p>
<p>Nah. 1900 is good enough to apply for UCLA and CMU. All depends on your essay and your ECs now.</p>
<p>UCLA admitted student profile</p>
<p>[Profile</a> of Admitted Freshmen, Fall 2012 - UCLA Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_fr/Frosh_Prof12.htm]Profile”>http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_fr/Frosh_Prof12.htm)</p>
<p>I concluded a while ago that if an individual is able to hit the 2000 mark on their first attempt, they are likely to do exceedingly well the next time they take the exam. Thus, I believe that you should definitely retake.</p>
<p>retake…</p>
<p>If the rest of your application is strong and well-done, retaking the sat isnt worth the trouble or time.</p>