For those attending college in the US:

[JogaBonito1502]

How much do they actually take your Standardized Tests scores into account? I'm about to start applying for college. Later today, I plan on starting my early application for MIT. I feel pretty confident in all areas but Standardized Tests. Could this by itself be sufficient of a reason for them to reject me?

 

[Thelis]

As much as I hate to say it, those SAT scores are probably the most important part of your application. Colleges sort out the applications based on SAT scores. The high ones, 750-800s on each section get special examination. MIT is a tech college, so your math score will be more than important. You should be aiming at no less than 680 on your math. English should not be bellow 600.

You have to understand that these days, with the extent at which kids get tutored, a lot of applicants are sending in perfect 2400s. You need to aim for a perfect score as well as your extra-curriculars and grades.

As I recall, you are going into junior year. This is the most important year of your high school life. Don't waste it, study HARD for those SATs.

I'm in class right now, so I can't really go into much detail. I'll add more to this thread when I get home.

 

[Celegorm]

I only took the ACT since it's what most Mid-West schools require. MSOE does it on a forumla. Your ACT score is given a points value, and your highschool GPA along with classes you have taken as pre-reqs and that determines your score. There are people here that have done bad on either end of the spectrum and still got in. Point being, it varies by school.

 

[JogaBonito1502]

I'm going to be a senior. I took the SAT and scored:

Math - 710
Critical Reading - 590
Writing - 570 (or 560)

ACT Scores:

Trial 1
English - 29
Math - 28
Reading - 29
Science - 34

Writing - 8 (from 2 to 12)

Trial 2
English - 28
Math - 34
Reading - 30
Science - 33

No writing.

I'm going to take the SAT Subject tests in October and taking the ACT in September. I'm considering taking the SAT again in November (the cut for MIT's early application). The only reason I say I won't take it for sure is because most of the schools now accept the ACT. They say that they weigh the tests the same. Since I perform relatively better on the ACT, I might just stick with that.

The thing with me, is that I can't read that fast. If I could take a little more time my understanding would be significantly superior. The writing portion is also very tough for me because even though I only stayed in Brasil until grade 5, we hit very hard on grammar there and my schools here didn't hit so hard when I came. Also, they way the languages are spoken really confuse me sometimes. The wording of sentences get me all the time! Regardless of these excuses, I should be able to do better.

As far as mathematics, I truly don't know what is wrong there. It is my strongest subject (currently taking Calculus 2 at Wichita State University with 103%). I don't understand why I'm not acing these stupid tests.

Other than MIT, these are some schools I'm looking at:

-The University of Michigan
-Stanford University
-Cornell University
-Rice University
-Georgia Tech
-The University of Kansas

Others I still need to put into consideration:

-University of Washington in St. Louis
-Northwestern University
-University of Pennsylvania

 

[Thelis]

I can commiserate since I emigrated from Russia.

Around my sophomore year I began preparing myself for the SATs. The hard work payed off, but it was a lot of it. MIT requires the highest SAT scores out of all the colleges that you have listed. Sending your ACT results might work to your advantage as it is more specialized and shows your scientific side, but it is my personal opinion that MIT would prefer SAT scores.

As for your low math score, that can be caused by two things. Either you are having a hard time understanding what they are asking, as is often the case with immigrant, or the math that they require is so simple that you have long forgotten it. You still have time to brush up on the material, I recomment Baron's SAT review book.

If you choose to leave your scores as they are, they certainly might deter you from entry. However, there is no clear cut minimum score. A lot is also based on your charisma and personality. In other words, charm their pants off.

I am typing this from my BlackBerry in class so forgive the long time between responses.

 

[pepzsoduh]

I'm going to be a senior. I took the SAT and scored:

Math - 710
Critical Reading - 590
Writing - 570 (or 560)

ACT Scores:

Trial 1
English - 29
Math - 28
Reading - 29
Science - 34

Writing - 8 (from 2 to 12)

Trial 2
English - 28
Math - 34
Reading - 30
Science - 33

No writing.

I'm going to take the SAT Subject tests in October and taking the ACT in September. I'm considering taking the SAT again in November (the cut for MIT's early application). The only reason I say I won't take it for sure is because most of the schools now accept the ACT. They say that they weigh the tests the same. Since I perform relatively better on the ACT, I might just stick with that.

The thing with me, is that I can't read that fast. If I could take a little more time my understanding would be significantly superior. The writing portion is also very tough for me because even though I only stayed in Brasil until grade 5, we hit very hard on grammar there and my schools here didn't hit so hard when I came. Also, they way the languages are spoken really confuse me sometimes. The wording of sentences get me all the time! Regardless of these excuses, I should be able to do better.

As far as mathematics, I truly don't know what is wrong there. It is my strongest subject (currently taking Calculus 2 at Wichita State University with 103%). I don't understand why I'm not acing these stupid tests.

Other than MIT, these are some schools I'm looking at:

-The University of Michigan
-Stanford University
-Cornell University
-Rice University
-Georgia Tech
-The University of Kansas

Others I still need to put into consideration:

-University of Washington in St. Louis
-Northwestern University
-University of Pennsylvania

i live in ann arbor joga if you went to michigan we'd be right by you

whats MIT again?

also acording to my dad, another thing colleges that get a lot of applicants look at is volunteer hours, he only scores a 1330 on the SAT (it was out of 1600 then) but he still got into hardvard cuz he had like 3000 hours of volunteer work or something

 

[vampist]

I can commiserate since I emigrated from Russia.

Around my sophomore year I began preparing myself for the SATs. The hard work payed off, but it was a lot of it. MIT requires the highest SAT scores out of all the colleges that you have listed. Sending your ACT results might work to your advantage as it is more specialized and shows your scientific side, but it is my personal opinion that MIT would prefer SAT scores.

As for your low math score, that can be caused by two things. Either you are having a hard time understanding what they are asking, as is often the case with immigrant, or the math that they require is so simple that you have long forgotten it. You still have time to brush up on the material, I recomment Baron's SAT review book.

If you choose to leave your scores as they are, they certainly might deter you from entry. However, there is no clear cut minimum score. A lot is also based on your charisma and personality. In other words, charm their pants off.

I am typing this from my BlackBerry in class so forgive the long time between responses.

Russian* sons of bitches are going down! Fire Ze-missiles!

*Suppose to be Chinese.

http://www.acreativedesktop.com/endofworld.html