Should I submit a 1510 SAT (770 RW, 740 M) to T20s as a bio/cogsci major?Answered
I'm an international student with a ~3.85-3.90 UW GPA (converted to American grading scales) looking to apply to US colleges as a biology/cognitive science major for fall 2023 entry. I took the SAT twice and got a 1510 the first time (770 RW, 740 M). My score for the second SAT is still pending but I'm pretty sure it will be around the same as my first score - I might get a 750 or 760 Math score if I'm lucky, but my chances aren't looking good at this point. My current 740 in Math is hovering around/below the 25th percentile at the following schools, but my 1510 is above the 25th percentile. As a STEM major, should I go test-optional or submit my SAT anyway? I've heard that it's always better to submit an SAT score as an international applicant...
Schools: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, WashU, Pomona, Brown, Vanderbilt, Cornell, Rice
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4 answers
Yes, it's always better to submit either an SAT or ACT test scores as an Int'l applicant because many Int'l applicants have different coursework, different learning styles and different grading systems. Therefore a very high SAT or ACT scores makes a difference when you don't have 8-12 APS nor have completed the IB International Baccalaureate diploma.
For humanities majors ( like Classics, Languages, English, History, Philosophy) have an inverted SAT score like 770 EBRW 740 M, makes sense. I wouldn't retake it necessarily again. But if you are going into a STEM major, 99% of admits have a normalized SAT score, which is typically a higher math score. So someone with a 1510 applying as STEM major is submitting a 740EBRW and a 770 Math score or 710/800.
Since all the schools you listed are UBER-Competitive with 3.19-7.00% admit rates and middle 50% SAT scores of 1500-1580 with most of them averaging 1550, I would take your SAT over until you submit a 770-800 Math score, superscored to a 1540-1570.
A High SAT or ACT never makes up for a trailing GPA or trailing course-rigor, but it shows that you have the grit to test prep like the best of them and arrive at a 99%+ test score.
Although you didn't ask for anyone's opinion on GPA or course rigor, or something most top colleges call Intellectual Vitality or IC Intellectual Curiosity, I feel that unless you show evidence of High IV/IC and better course rigor, you may find yourself struggling to get an offer from any of these colleges.
Since you do have internet access, I highly recommend that you consider enrolling in either a couple online AP courses this summer or online college courses relating to your your future major. If you get As in them, that will help show admissions officers you are ready for college level rigor.
I would probably recommend these following colleges: MIT, UPenn, Columbia, UMichigan, Tufts, USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley and dropping Pomona and NorthWestern.
Good luck
Yes, I would recommend submitting your SAT. It grounds your application in a well-known metric, especially since it's unlikely the colleges you are applying to have extensive data on the international school you are coming from.
Hi @cookie,
What's your current budget for application costs like? I ask because I see no reason why you shouldn't at least try for these schools outside the amount of money you'd need to spend on the application cycle.
If you needed to winnow down for cost reasons, I'd remove two of the following: Harvard, Yale, Stanford.
I'd also recommend adding UC Berkeley - I'm biased as a biology graduate of the program, but it IS one of the top STEM schools and regularly attracts a large international community.
I'm a new adviser on CollegeVine, look me up as Carly Tribull if you have more questions.
Your SAT's seem above the minimum for the ivy league and prestigious colleges you are going to, your GPA seems much lower than their average standards they are used to. Unless you have some really good extracurrculars, I doubt you will be getting in. I recommend you retake the SAT for a higher score, if you can or non test submit if these schools allow this. A better SAT score might make them more likely to pick you. What is your course rigor because, it might change.
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Thanks for your advice. By AP courses do you mean I should just report the scores I get in those online courses somewhere in my application as I believe it would be too late to take the relevant AP exams this year? Also, just out of curiosity, why would you recommend dropping Pomona and Northwestern?