Should I take the SAT as an international student if I am doing the IB?Answered
I am an international student applying to top20 universities in the US; I take the IB and have a 39 predicted (out of 42), and wanted to ask if it was recommended to take the SAT or not. I am applying for International Relations and currently take the easiest IB Maths, so I will probably not score very high on the maths section. Any advice?
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I am an international IB student too. I'm planning on taking the SAT in August and then retaking it in October just before I apply early decision to my dream unis. I am currently taking math AA SL even though I didn't score very well in my IGCSE math exam (C). Now, I'm doing well at math but I'm still scared of the SAT because my IGCSE grade haunts me. However, the SAT is really important as it shows you're doing well academically, even if most schools don't require it, it looks good on your application. I suggest you take the SAT and use Khan academy to practice. It's a very useful resource and will help you through every topic. I wish you the best.
Yeah you should! At least statistically speaking, SAT applicants have a massive edge over non-SAT applicants. (Though, one may also argue that SAT applicants, on average, tend to do better in other areas; thus, there is no benefit to taking the SAT.) Don't worry about the maths section, it is really quite straightforward. A slightly-above-average 9th grader could get a 700+ score given enough time.
I am an international IB student like you. I know that most of the top 20 universities don't require SAT, but I am going to take SAT in August because I believe it will increase my chances. In my opinion, SAT is a way of saying that you are academically good. So, if you do not have anything else that can prove that sufficiently, I would recommend you to take the SAT. Although it is not required, I will take it and recommend you to take it.
As for IB Maths, I don't know which one you take, but I take Maths AA HL. I prepare for it by focusing on past papers and watching lectures on YouTube. I would recommend Revision Village's YouTube channel. Also, if you have money, you can buy its services because I think they are good- I didn't buy them because of my family's economic situation. In general, I would recommend you to solve as many questions as possible because that will definitely increase your score as you get familiar with the exam.
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Well, I'd disagree with the sentiment that the SAT shows universities that you're academically good. Doing well on the SAT is not that challenging, and top universities know that. However, universities do want to see how well you perform in an assessment that is entirely externally assessed. That way they can ensure that every admitted applicant has some sort of a basic academic competency, which is what a 1500+ SAT generally suggests.