Should I not submit SAT scores for the best chance?
I, optimistically, want to try getting into Stanford. I'm a senior, so I'll be doing undergraduate applications. I doubt I'll make it in this year but I'm going to shoot for transferring in later on, when I've had more time to study for SATs/ACTs. However, to give myself the best possible shot this year (I know transferring in is harder than getting in as an undergraduate), I'd really appreciate an opinion.
I currently have a 4.0 unweighted GPA, took AP Lang + Comp last year (passed the exam), am taking AP Lit + Comp, AP Psychology, and AP Statistics this year, and take everything else in Honors. I do school online, and I was not able to take AP classes until my Junior year, otherwise I would have taken more sooner (my understanding is that they're often offered sooner, is that correct? It also concerns me since I think you should have taken much more AP classes than what I have).
However, my main worry is that my highest composite SAT score is 1400, 760 English and 640 Math. I know that's far below average for Stanford, and even more trouble comes when I've taken the SAT 3 times and somehow got a progressively lower score. Since you have to submit every SAT score you get, I'm guessing that would pose trouble, but how much? Since SAT scores are optional this year, should I not submit them? Or would that spell more trouble than submitting them would?
My most recent score was 720 English, 590 Math. The score before that was 690 English, 640 Math, and the first one I took was 760 English, 630 Math.
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2 answers
Going along with the other answer, I recommend not submitting your SAT scores. Applying test-optional will not harm your application, but submitting scores that are below those of the average accepted applicant submits will. In other words, applying test-optional is like +0 points on your application, submitting low scores is like -1, and submitting high scores is like +1. Hope this helps!
@Wynn If you are not a hooked applicant, either Black, LatinA, or Indigenous, then I would not submit a 1400 super-scored SAT. Your EBRW is really good at 760 but Math is a big problem. If you are determined to apply to Stanford RD, then I would sign up for the Dec. 3 SAT and try to cram on paid-test-prep-online service like supertutortv.com ($250). It's totally worth it and might get your math score up 50-100 points. SAT math is really not hard, there is no calculus or even pre-calc. You just need a better system to understand the questions and how to answer them and take more practice problems on the ones you don't know how to master. It's doable. On the other hand, if you had a low EBRW score, improving that 100 pts is not so doable.
I would completely forget about transferring since only 55 out of 3265 applicants made it through which is 1.6%. Some of those 55 were ex-military.
I agree that 4 APs is not really good course rigor because most Stanford admits have 8-12. Not much you can do about this as a senior right now.
Academically, (GPA, course rigor, test scores, intellectual vitality), you are not a very compelling applicant to Stanford. Do me a favor and watch this video from this Stanford consultant and you'll know what I mean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvlWZMMGYH8
If you can't accept anything less than Stanford, I would take a GAP year and do a Post Graduate extra year of HS at a top boarding school. Otherwise, I just don't think it's in the cards. You can verify this using the CV chancing-tool as well. But I don't think you have more than a 10% chance on Collegevine given what you are sharing right now.
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Thank you so much for the answer, and I watched the video. I've been recognized by CollegeBoard in both their Hispanic and Rural and Small Town National Recognition programs, does that change anything? And, worse case-scenario, I take the SAT again and bomb it. How would that impact me? If I still want to try to transfer and study to get my score up, would it start to look bad, given I had taken the SAT 4 times before with no luck? I know the chances are slim anyway, but.