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@Crunchtime
0 answers, 0 votes
 • 4 years ago •
Admissions Advice

Would you recommend sending a 690/800 SAT score to top engineering schools?
Answered

With an otherwise strong math and AP, essays and extracurriculars application. Would you suggest sending this SAT score to schools like

Wash U, Rice, and Carnegie Mellon?

SAT
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Accepted Answer
@alpaca
7 answers, 3 votes
 • 4 years ago

According to Collegevine, you should submit your SAT scores if they fall within 60 points of the 25th percentile. Students at top engineering schools like MIT typically have SAT scores that are similarly one-sided; RW is above average, math is top of the line. You fall into this category. SAT scores are also predicted to be lower this year as most people can not take them more than once and super score. I recommend you continue to research this topic as it is an important decision. It may help to talk to your guidance counselor about this if possible. Best of luck!

-4
[🎤 AUTHOR]@Crunchtime4 years ago

Thank you.

[🎤 AUTHOR]@Crunchtime4 years ago

Sorry for clarification, 60 points from total SAT score or each section?

@CameronBameron4 years ago

CV is suggesting a max of 60 pts for your composite score. So if Columbia is 1500/1560 for their middle 50% then CV is saying go ahead and submit the 1440,1450,1460,1470,1480,1490. I think the 60 pt rule works better with Top50-200 schools personally, as what I was trying to show you in my calculus.

@CameronBameron4 years ago

But you seem to agree with a flawed answer. Good luck whatever you do.

6
@CameronBameron
2,264 answers, 8,663 votes
 • 4 years ago

I would recommend that you submit your scores to Wash U, Rice, and CMU. I'm not so sure about Caltech and MIT. I completely disagree with the blanket statement by the respondent that at top engineering schools like MIT, scores are one-sided. This is a fallacy.

While the average SAT score is like 1060, evenly distributed between 530 English and 530 Math, as testers get more proficient, most tend to improve their math scores versus their reading and writing scores. Between the time you take the 11th-grade PSAT and the SAT, for most test-takers there isn't enough time to make up for a low English score but the Math score can be addressed with greater results.

There is typically a spread of 50-60 pts at all the Ivy Leagues and Elite colleges between the English and Math scores. Case in point Stanford ENG 700/740 (25%) MATH 770/800 (75%) or Harvard ENG 710/750 (25%) MATH770/800 (75%). This translates into a spread avg of 65 pts for Stanford and 55 pts for Harvard between the ENG and MATH scores.

The spread between English and Maths is counterintuitively tighter at 20-40 points at the best engineering schools.

Caltech ENG 740/790 (25%) MATH 760/800 (75%) and MIT ENG 730/780 (25%) MATH 790/800 (75%). The avg spread at Caltech is 15 pts and the avg spread at MIT is 40 pts.

Your 110 point spread is out of the range in my opinion because CalTech/MIT is 15/40 and you are 95/70 above their middle.

Since all schools are either Test Optional or Test Blind, that will help you decide where to submit or not.

WashU, CMU, and RICE are test-optional

MIT is test-optional for SAT/ACT but tests blind for SAT IIs

CalTech is test blind for ALL TESTS so they will not even take a test score the next 2 admissions cycles.

If you are planning on applying to Caltech and MIT, their main criteria this year will be UWGPA, Course Rigor, and evidence of intellectual curiosity beyond the classroom, Essays, ECS, and recommendations. You and your counselor can determine if your application is fortified to compete with other CalTech and MIT applicants. Don't count out other schools like UC Berkeley, Cornell, and Columbia Fu.

Good luck with your admissions process and getting into your top engineering choice.

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[🎤 AUTHOR]@Crunchtime4 years ago

Thank you this was helpful. I was going to submit my scores to all of them but got cold feet when Wesleyan university admissions said my application was stronger without it as a recruited athlete. So now I’m double guessing everything.

@CameronBameron4 years ago

I forgot about Harvey Mudd. That seems like a good one since they are both Engineering and part of the 5Cs so you can take classes at CMC and Pomona. Also OLIN college of engineering ranked #3 in undergraduate programs.

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