For Juniors Who Scored Well on Their First SAT
Juniors who performed well on the most recent iteration of the SAT are in the unique position of having both a luxury and a responsibility. Both are discussed in this article.
Taking the Next Step to Success
The Advantage is that you won't have to spend the spring and summer cramming for tests like everyone else. You started early on the difficult work, and as a result, you now have the benefit of not having to "step up" on the subsequent SAT, and there is a possibility that you will never have to take the SAT again. You are now in a position to evaluate different colleges because you are aware that you satisfy the prerequisites for admission.
The Responsibility: In light of the high score you received, you need to check that all of the other aspects of your application are complete and accurate. Have you already completed the Subject Tests that are required by the college that you want to attend? June is the best month to take certain examinations because September, October, and November are not the times when they are offered. Also, do your target colleges demand a SAT Essay? The essay was not a part of the statewide "School Day SAT," and as a result, an application without an essay, even with a score of 1600, is considered to be incomplete. The vast majority of colleges that require an essay will "superscore" the test; this means that a high score on the multiple choice portion of the exam will be combined with a high score on the essay portion of a test taken at a later date. You absolutely must go ahead and take that second test!
The Caution: "Scored well" is not to be measured against peers but rather against the statistics that are used by colleges when admitting students. The report by U.S. News is a helpful resource for gaining an understanding of the SAT requirements that are imposed by various colleges. The report displays the 25th and 75th percentiles at more than 300 prestigious colleges in the United States. If you want to feel confident about being accepted to that college, your score should be at least 50 points higher than the 75th percentile of all students admitted there. It is worth noting that even with a higher score, there are still no guarantees of admission to any particular school Despite this, the report can be used as a helpful guide when attempting to understand the SAT scores of admitted students at various colleges
