SAT Dilemma

Lenocka
Sun, 27 Oct 2013 03:06:18 +0000

I took the SAT this October and I got 2210 (CR 740, M 680, W 790). I am quite happy with reading and writing, but the maths is quite low and I’m sure I could do better if I took it one more time. However, the last time when I could take it is December, if I can apply to those universities I want to, but I have a dilemma whether I should retake SAT I to hopefully improve my maths or whether I should take SAT II, which would allow me to apply to some of the schools I like the most, such as Barnard College. It would also give me an advantage when applying to some other colleges where SAT Subject Tests are optional.
Also, I’m an international student and I will definitely be needing financial aid, which is one of the reasons why I’m applying to top liberal arts colleges that meet 100% demonstrated need for international students as well, but of course it’s extremely competitive - that is why I think my maths score definitely would be better, because now I’m really afraid it would hurt my chances of getting in.
So… my question is, what should I do? Take SAT I again to improve my maths score (I think that if I study, I could improve by some 40 points at least), or should I take SAT II for Barnard and other universities (note: I really really LOVE Barnard. It’s definitely my dream school)?

OR, another thing I possibly could do was take Maths 2 as one of the subject tests and hope that if I get a good score for that, it could make up a bit for the low SAT I score. However, I’m not really that into Maths so I’m not sure whether I could get a good score in the subject test. The maths section on SAT I isn’t too hard for me with a bit of practice, but I’m not really sure about the subject test…

HELP PLEASEE!