Retaking the SAT: Where is my gun?

Applying to College
1

<p>OK, this thread goes out to anyone, and I mean anyone who took the SAT Reasoning Test and got a 2200+ and decided to retake it. My question for you is, WHY? Once you have achieved a 2200 or above, which is in the top 1% percentile in the nation (99th percentile) then why retake it. A 2200 is average at every Ivy League and top university in the nation. I don’t think an admissions officer at Yale or Columbia has ever said, well, we like him, but that 2200 is just repulsive. <strong><em>? NO, if you got that score or above, I think the universities know you can handle college pretty well. If I was an admissions officer and I saw that you retook it after you got a 2200, I would say “What the *</em></strong> are they trying to prove?” Its ridiculous. Instead of spending more time studying for the SAT why don’t you do something else with your life that will help your college admission. </p>

<p>So many people wonder “How did XXXXX get denied, they had such a high SAT score?” Cause my friends, the SAT score is only marginal in many ways. Once you get into a certain percentile rank, the colleges could care less, so why keep on trying? They will see that you scored well, then they want to see what else you bring to the table. So spending your days studying for that 2400 is seemingly pointless. If you are in the average for the SAT and you make a good, but unique, impression then there is no reason for the college not to admit you. </p>

<p>However, what I really hate are the kids who get a 2350+ and decide to retake the test. What the ****, get a life. I really would shoot those kids if I met one of them. The 2200 retake is bad, but its not as ridiculous as the 2350+ retake. Honestly, that proves that you have nothing better to do with your life then focus on some stupid ass test. Seriously, you should be killed.</p>

<p>I think there is only one exception to the 2200+ retake which I can handle: Cal Tech. They are the only college in the nation with such anal faggotry about the SAT scores, so I can understand that, but only that. I know that I probably ****ed off a lot of people, but that is the truth. Many people realize that once you get into a certain range, SAT scores don’t shine anymore. That is the exact reason why people with 2200+ get denied from HYPSM or wherever else. The test scores are great, but what else can you offer…</p>

2

<p>Actually, some people score 2200+ on their first try and don’t really know the significance of that score, yes those bastards…natural geniuses. So they have the chance to take it again in their senior year and go for it because you want the “best score that says how good you are.”</p>

3

<p>I’ll admit it, I got a 2250 on my first try and really wanted to retake it. The thing is, the SAT was pretty much the only part of the college process that I didn’t hate. I didn’t mind studying for it or taking it in the least. In fact, I thought some of the sections were kind of fun. I know that sounds really obnoxious, but it’s true.
My grades and particularly my class rank were not quite where I wanted them to be, and for me it really just made sense to take it again. If I didn’t get into my dream school, I wanted to know that I had done everything in my power.<br>
My college councilors, however, disagreed, and dissuaded me from taking it. And really, they were right, because I still got into my first choice ED. But I can sympathize with those other obnoxious 2200+ kids who choose to retake.</p>

4

<p>Erm…I retook a 2250, but my CR + M was 1460, which isn’t exactly stellar. On the retake, I got 1550 CR + M, which, as an unhooked Asian applicant, I feel a LOT more comfortable with. I think if your initial score was inflated by a high writing score, but you had mediocre CR and M, a retake makes sense. Not all 2200’s are created equal; score distribution matters.</p>

5

<p>Well, there’s a difference between an 800/600/800 and 730/730/740. I could understand in the first case, not so much in the second case.</p>

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<p>I think it depends on the case. Getting a 2350+ is not in any way going to automatically get you into a prestigious school, but it’ll help. And there are times when you really could do better if you were more prepared, like if you take it for the first time Junior spring and realize that you knew the Math in 8th grade and have forgotten it by now and want to do better.</p>

<p>I would say that retaking “high” (which is a relative term) SAT Is and doing even better, though deemed as unnecessary by some, is only going to help the person.</p>

7

<p>Well, I got a 2270 as a sophomore, and I’m definitely retaking it as a junior.</p>

<p>Why? Because I know I can do better :)</p>

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<p>I don’t think all you who cry “99th percentile! It’s enough!” realize how tippy-top you have to be to get into HYPMS. I would feel more comfortable moving from the 50% percentile at Harvard to the 75% percentile. So what if the 50% percentile score doesn’t hurt you? A higher score might be the TINY nudge that gets you in! We’ll never know exactly what it is that gets us in or keeps us out of schools. So if we think we can do better, I say, by all means, why not retake? I’m not suggesting anybody take more than three times (I think even three retakes is pushing it to an obsessive limit), but I see nothing wrong with getting around a 2200 your first go-around, retaking, and jumping up even 150 points. If someone can get a 2200 with minimal study, and a 2300+ with some preparation, I think it is worth that one retake and a bit of study beforehand. No college is going to think an applicant is crazy for taking the SAT only twice. A higher score than a 2200 might not give your application a big boost, but it can only help, so as long as you do not study day and night just to get from a 2200 to a 2250 or take it over and over and over, I think it’s reaonable to try to get a higher score even if your baseline is quite high.</p>

9

<p>I agree with handyandy about 800/800/600 being very different from a 730/730/740, and a retake being MUCH more feasible in the first case. Getting from a 750 to an 800 is hard. Getting from a 600 to a 700 is not as hard, and is much more important to do, because with the 600, you won’t seem well-rounded.</p>

10

<p>I retook a 2220 for the simple reason I knew I had underperformed. 800/700/720. My PSAT was a 226 with 77/79/70. Obviously I thought I was capable of much higher math scores (at the time I saw myself as a prospective Computer Science major). Also one of my friends whom I felt I was definitely smarter than scored a 2300- terrible reasoning, I know, but it bruised my pride. I ended up deciding not to, since the day I had rescheduled for was the morning after I had to have an interview for my summer internship so I couldn’t study. </p>

<p>Then, over the summer, I met with my new guidance counselor, who suggested, based on where I was applying, that I retake it, since my GPA was not indicative of my full potential. I retook it, after only studying math over the summer (sporadically). New score: 780/710/800, superscore: 2310. I felt much better about it.</p>

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<p>Here’s a good reason: scholarships. A 1490 vs. a 1500 V+M could mean the difference between a half- and full-ride at a state school.</p>

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<p>I understand the well-rounding part, its just that I don’t think that Harvard or an IVY has ever denied a student because of their SAT score (when it is in that range). I can understand that a 1500/2400 is not gonna happen, but I don’t think that a 2200 is going to deter an IVY from accepting a student. I seriously don’t think the Ivies are so anal about scores once you are in the 99th percentile. I can understand if people want to do better cause they think it will help their admission, which is possible, but I think the time and effort spent do not match the reward. The percentage of people that are denied because of their 2200 instead of a 2300 is so small that I don’t believe it has any real effect. </p>

<p>I don’t know if people do it for bragging rights or to try and be the best because it is sort of pointless. Everyone has their own genius and intelligence which differs from everyone else. One student with a 2400 may have barely made it while another student with a 2400 made it look easy. I honestly think some people just take it to far.</p>

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<p>My PSAT was a 231 and my SAT was a 221. The odd thing is that my PSAT Writing was an 80 and my SAT Writing was a 730 (11 essay, 69 mc). All my other subscores were higher for my PSAT, too. I know it probably won’t make a difference in admissions if I jump from a 2210 to a 2310, but I feel like my anxiety and “tunnel-vision” I felt when taking the SAT were responsible for the PSAT–>SAT decrease. This will definitely be my last time though.</p>

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<p>I got a 2400 the first time and retook it and got 2400 again. Wow! Nice one BSSproductions, considering you only have 7 posts…lol.</p>

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<p>A 2200 SAT is below avg for Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford. Schools don’t want to let in students that will lower their avg for no other good reason when they could otherwise accept a similar student with a 2320 who will bring up their avg instead. Not to mention that it’s only avg because of athletes bringing down the avg. I think I saw a study someone did on here showing the avg non-athlete SAT (M+V) at Harvard was 1512 and 1504 at Princeton.</p>

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<p>The problem is that for many of the top tier school, having a high SAT score is a beneficial factor. The admissions decisions is long and hard, yes, so every little bit counts. A higher SAT score, if doable, adds nothing but good to your application. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to pull out all the stops. If the student is willing and his motivation sound, then by all means, let him try for it.</p>

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<p>here are my 2 cents. chill, get laid, enjoy life while you are young, and go out for some fresh air for once. i think that worked better in improving my sat score from 2000 to 2200 than buying the “Blue Book” and hiring 5,000 dollar prviate tutors.</p>

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<p>I agree with you about 2350+ scores. That’s silly. You’ve mastered the test. No one’s going to reject you because you don’t have a 2400. If you get rejected, it’s going to be for other reasons.</p>

<p>A 2200, however, is more reasonable. A lot of schools (espescially Ivys, but others now too) have REALLY high scores. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to take the SAT a second time. If you study a bit, you can probably do better. Most people (well, at least many dedicated students) take the SAT more than once. If you got from a 2220 say, to a 2300 or something–it gives you just a little more of a boost for those top schools.</p>

<p>Also, sometimes one score IS significantly lower than another. There are kids who get 780 CR, 770 W, 650 M (or vice versa). A 650 isn’t bad–but it might be enough, coupled with nothing else truly “outstanding,” to get you bumped off an Ivy list. So with something like that, I would certainly retake–purely to get the math score up.</p>

<p>Sometimes, it’s something of a comforting factor…you know? I mean, say you get a 2200 and otherwise your profile is pretty amazing. Maybe getting a 2300 the next time won’t make a difference, but at least then you won’t be kicking yourself for not even trying to retake the SAT if you get rejected from your top college. I mean yeah, it’s a hassle to take it again, but at least then you know you tried and did your best and you aren’t left wondering if that’s why you got rejected.</p>

<p>I got a 2150 on my first SAT. I’m taking it again in the fall. If I’d gotten a 2250+, I wouldn’t have taken it again. But that middle ground from 2150 to 2250, I might have. Also, I would have if one of my scores (as I said above) was much lower than the others.</p>

<p>I don’t know–that’s just my reasoning. I do understand where you’re coming from and I think at some point, it just becomes a perfectionist thing…but with college admissions the way they are? It doesn’t seem that crazy after all.</p>

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<p>I have a 2200 and I’m retaking because my score is skewed. (700 CR 720 M 780 W) If that 780 were in Critical reading instead, I would feel more confident. I don’t mind taking the SAT and want to get my scores as high as I can get them. I don’t think that’s unreasonable, especially because I want to be a mathematics major. I feel like I could get an 800 M (I know what 3 questions I missed before, and they were stupid mistakes). I feel like getting that math to an 800 could make a big difference.</p>

20

<p>OK I got a 2220 and am contemplating taking it again. I got an 800M 690CR 730W. I am fine with M and W but CR is a but low for me…</p>

<p>Quoted: If I was an admissions officer and I saw that you retook it after you got a 2200, I would say “What the **** are they trying to prove?” </p>

<p>Ha! It should be if I WERE (subjunctive tense) no wonder you cant get a 2200 and praise God that you are not an admissions officer you dumb ____.</p>