How To Get Into Stanford With Your SAT And SAT II
The SAT test is well-known to all high school students. You’ll need to get a good score if you want to attend Harvard.
In this article I will share two effective strategies for getting the best score possible on the SAT.
First: Where schools like Stanford are concerned, what is considered an acceptable SAT score?
Second: What is the best and wisest way to prepare for the SAT. How can I avoid wasting time and money?
1. Naturally your goal is getting a high score. How high is high?
Your target score should be 2100. You will want to get a score of 700 on each section if you are hoping to be accepted by and Ivy League school. If you have less than a 700 on any section, it will detract from your application.
As an admissions officer, I can tell you that we almost always accept students who have a score of 2100 or more. The only time we would not is if there are serious academic weaknesses. For example, very weak transcripts might cause us to reject an applicant with a high SAT score.
2. Document your improvements. If you make a low score the first time you take the SAT, try again. Be sure to document your score each time, and of course, work hard to improve it each time.
Click here for more SAT test taking advice!
3. Of the two, ACT and SAT, preference is given to SAT.
There are a lot of qualities about the ACT that make it a superior test to the SAT. It is surely very challenging. However, if the admissions office is having a hard time deciding between two candidates who are very similar, the one with a high SAT score will win out over the one with a high ACT score.
There are two things you should focus on in preparation. You must get an early start, and you must take as many sample tests as possible.
1. Start early. Before you take the NMSQT, take the PSAT at least once. In this way, you can get practice without taking a risk. Take the SAT for the Duke TIP while you are still in 7th grade.
2. If you are considering taking a prep course, be careful of those that make extravagant claims. My parents paid a thousand dollars for me to take the Kaplan course when I was in high school. I really only remember one thing about that course. There were some flashcards that were very creative that helped me a bit with my vocabulary. Hardly a thousand dollars worth, though! Be sure to sit in on a few courses before deciding whether or not to pursue any.
3. Haunt your local bookstore to get copies of all the tests. Take as many sample tests as you can. You can get them all, from Princeton review to Barron’s, so be sure to take advantage of this opportunity. Taking sample tests will make a big difference to your score. The more comfortable you are with answering the types of questions asked on the test, the better your score will be.
Click here to learn why high school extracurriculars matter in college admissions!
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.