3 answers
annie
Student
Buffalo Grove, Illinois
3
Questions
Updated
478 views
Is a 1440 SAT not enough for a major in aerospace engineering?
I am a junior, and I just received my SAT score of 1440 on my second try for March (math: 730 and reading: 710). My first try was 1410 back in September (math: 750 and reading: 660). I have been studying for at least the past three months, every day for 1 hour, alternating between reading, grammar, and math. I have also been focusing on the skills in which I have been making mistakes. I feel that I may be leveling out on my score. I would like to get to the 1500s, but now I wonder if that is possible. My parents have offered me one more chance to take the SAT to get a 1500, and I am wondering whether that is possible and what would happen if this were my highest SAT score. I understand that this is a score many people look forward to, but for me, and especially my parents, it is not enough. This has me a bit worried, as my standing in school is not excellent either (I have received 2 Cs so far). Please let me know what you think about this matter and any changes or fixes I can make.
3 answers
Liam Rielly
Data Center Technician
180
Answers
Manassas, Virginia
Updated
Liam’s Answer
I am going to try to answer this the best I can. I am your typical C student in high school and I did not turn any heads when it came to academics. My girlfriend was a C student in high school and she kept going but didn't really shine as a student until she was in college. I have a high school diploma, she has a PhD, we both got the same score on our SATs. In the end, your SAT score doesn't really matter.
Before your parents lose their mind over this answer I will say why for you right now it does matter. College is expensive and is one of the largest expenses you will have in your life. This however is going to give you a major advantage the second you hit the job market, especially in aerospace engineering (as in you do need a degree in this field). If you score high on your SAT, this gives you options for scholarships, gets you into better schools, and might allow you to use high school classes (AP classes) for college credit. The SAT is a competitive edge that you should take advantage of IF it makes sense for your end goal. If you did not do well, the path to aerospace engineer will not be closed, it will likely take longer. The more time you spend in school the more money it will cost and the later you will start making money back from the degree. This is not the worst thing in the world, but your parents ARE thinking about this!
Your question of is it possible? Absolutely! Now that you know how to take the test and study to get a better score, just keep studying and go for it! On the other hand, what if you don't get that score this next round? What will that mean? I had to look it up because they changed the scoring system since I took the SATs but it looks like you are in the 90th percentile with 1440 already and that is good enough for most schools. Are you going to go to a school that requires a 1500? If not is there value in taking the SATs a third time? Again I can't answer this but even if you got a 1450 this next try you would still have a desirable score.
You mentioned you had C's. At this point I would focus on that. Try to get the best GPA you can. SATs are great for showing how you can perform on a test but your overall grades are going to stand out more, I feel. Also try to work on some soft skills as well. See if there is a summer program or job, internship, STEM club, volunteer opportunity, community outreach, or anything that shows you have initiative to get up and do something. If you play sports or compete in something try to excel in that as well. Colleges like someone with a narrative attached to them as well, not just numbers on a paper.
The last thing is which college?!? I knew someone that hired for an IT firm and he said "I would prefer see someone with a degree from a state school rather than an ivy league school because usually the person from the ivy league school has resources and help in order to complete their degree, the person from the state school has to work for what they have". If there is a specific school that has a specific program you want and you need to have that 1500 to do it, then your answer is yes do it! If you are going to do classes at one school and finish a degree at another, then there really isn't a need for a better score.
I'm going to try to make an analogy here with aerospace engineering. You are a rocket, you are full of fuel. This means at this point in time you have the most stored energy, you weigh the most, and you are sitting on the launch pad with no motion. Then you start the launch, its going to take the most energy to get moving because you are both not in motion and heavy. You focus your energy and make it off the launch pad, AWESOME! In 5 minutes you are 2km in the air, you burned enough fuel to keep going, you dropped weight and you are starting to really catch speed! At this point getting into orbit is just a matter of staying the course, you have enough fuel, you steadily gain speed, and you have direction! The fuel is your study time, you are the rocket, your air speed is the time you will be in school, the fuel is the amount of energy you need to do the entire degree. On the launch pad, will it matter if you are 2km in the air in 5 minutes or in 4 minutes? If it takes 6 minutes will you stop everything and go back to launch again? Would you recalculate your fuel to try to make it less than 4 minutes and maybe not have enough later? This is how I think you are viewing your SAT score. Its part of planning for a trajectory, but if you get too caught up, it may not be worth focusing on just that to get off of your launch pad.
Before your parents lose their mind over this answer I will say why for you right now it does matter. College is expensive and is one of the largest expenses you will have in your life. This however is going to give you a major advantage the second you hit the job market, especially in aerospace engineering (as in you do need a degree in this field). If you score high on your SAT, this gives you options for scholarships, gets you into better schools, and might allow you to use high school classes (AP classes) for college credit. The SAT is a competitive edge that you should take advantage of IF it makes sense for your end goal. If you did not do well, the path to aerospace engineer will not be closed, it will likely take longer. The more time you spend in school the more money it will cost and the later you will start making money back from the degree. This is not the worst thing in the world, but your parents ARE thinking about this!
Your question of is it possible? Absolutely! Now that you know how to take the test and study to get a better score, just keep studying and go for it! On the other hand, what if you don't get that score this next round? What will that mean? I had to look it up because they changed the scoring system since I took the SATs but it looks like you are in the 90th percentile with 1440 already and that is good enough for most schools. Are you going to go to a school that requires a 1500? If not is there value in taking the SATs a third time? Again I can't answer this but even if you got a 1450 this next try you would still have a desirable score.
You mentioned you had C's. At this point I would focus on that. Try to get the best GPA you can. SATs are great for showing how you can perform on a test but your overall grades are going to stand out more, I feel. Also try to work on some soft skills as well. See if there is a summer program or job, internship, STEM club, volunteer opportunity, community outreach, or anything that shows you have initiative to get up and do something. If you play sports or compete in something try to excel in that as well. Colleges like someone with a narrative attached to them as well, not just numbers on a paper.
The last thing is which college?!? I knew someone that hired for an IT firm and he said "I would prefer see someone with a degree from a state school rather than an ivy league school because usually the person from the ivy league school has resources and help in order to complete their degree, the person from the state school has to work for what they have". If there is a specific school that has a specific program you want and you need to have that 1500 to do it, then your answer is yes do it! If you are going to do classes at one school and finish a degree at another, then there really isn't a need for a better score.
I'm going to try to make an analogy here with aerospace engineering. You are a rocket, you are full of fuel. This means at this point in time you have the most stored energy, you weigh the most, and you are sitting on the launch pad with no motion. Then you start the launch, its going to take the most energy to get moving because you are both not in motion and heavy. You focus your energy and make it off the launch pad, AWESOME! In 5 minutes you are 2km in the air, you burned enough fuel to keep going, you dropped weight and you are starting to really catch speed! At this point getting into orbit is just a matter of staying the course, you have enough fuel, you steadily gain speed, and you have direction! The fuel is your study time, you are the rocket, your air speed is the time you will be in school, the fuel is the amount of energy you need to do the entire degree. On the launch pad, will it matter if you are 2km in the air in 5 minutes or in 4 minutes? If it takes 6 minutes will you stop everything and go back to launch again? Would you recalculate your fuel to try to make it less than 4 minutes and maybe not have enough later? This is how I think you are viewing your SAT score. Its part of planning for a trajectory, but if you get too caught up, it may not be worth focusing on just that to get off of your launch pad.
Kim Igleheart
Career Counselor | Police Officer
1860
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Annie,
The SAT does not penalize you for guessing, so, you need to answer every question. I suggest you go ahead and take the test again. Here's the way to boost your score (in addition to studying!)
The objective is to "win" without cheating. So:
1. Eat a good meal (protein), hydrate, and get a good night's sleep the night before.
2. Eat a decent breakfast.
3. Walk into that test knowing there WILL be questions on it you cannot answer. You are human. Accept it.
4. On all questions, try to eliminate at least some of the answers. This increases the chances that your guess will be correct.
5. How to guess, part I: Walk into the exam with a letter in your head. Today I choose "B." For every question I do not know, I will pick B. If there are 10 such questions, there's a good chance 2 will now be correct. If you randomly guess, you can miss them all.
6. How to guess, part II. Prior to starting the test, choose "left" or "right." Today I choose "left." For every question where you have narrowed down the possibilities, we cannot tell ahead of time what those possibilities will be. If "B" is one of them (see #5), by all means, stay with B. If B is not one of them, go with whatever letter (of the narrowed down possibilities) is furthest to the left. Could be "A" or "C". Just pick it and move on.
7. Following these steps reduces your stress and frees up time for working on questions that you DO know.
8. If you run out of time: Before the time ends, mark every unanswered question with a B. Again, it's about the odds. A few will likely be correct.
I know this sounds insane, but, it works. I helped someone with a military entrance test. He was also on his third try. His score increased so much they made him take it again, and fingerprinted him for positive ID! He still got the high score on the 4th try.
Please ask your parents for one more try. You can do this! AND, please come back and tell us how you did. Of course, keep studying. BUT, stop stressing!!!
The SAT does not penalize you for guessing, so, you need to answer every question. I suggest you go ahead and take the test again. Here's the way to boost your score (in addition to studying!)
The objective is to "win" without cheating. So:
1. Eat a good meal (protein), hydrate, and get a good night's sleep the night before.
2. Eat a decent breakfast.
3. Walk into that test knowing there WILL be questions on it you cannot answer. You are human. Accept it.
4. On all questions, try to eliminate at least some of the answers. This increases the chances that your guess will be correct.
5. How to guess, part I: Walk into the exam with a letter in your head. Today I choose "B." For every question I do not know, I will pick B. If there are 10 such questions, there's a good chance 2 will now be correct. If you randomly guess, you can miss them all.
6. How to guess, part II. Prior to starting the test, choose "left" or "right." Today I choose "left." For every question where you have narrowed down the possibilities, we cannot tell ahead of time what those possibilities will be. If "B" is one of them (see #5), by all means, stay with B. If B is not one of them, go with whatever letter (of the narrowed down possibilities) is furthest to the left. Could be "A" or "C". Just pick it and move on.
7. Following these steps reduces your stress and frees up time for working on questions that you DO know.
8. If you run out of time: Before the time ends, mark every unanswered question with a B. Again, it's about the odds. A few will likely be correct.
I know this sounds insane, but, it works. I helped someone with a military entrance test. He was also on his third try. His score increased so much they made him take it again, and fingerprinted him for positive ID! He still got the high score on the 4th try.
Please ask your parents for one more try. You can do this! AND, please come back and tell us how you did. Of course, keep studying. BUT, stop stressing!!!
Carolina Undurraga
M&A Advisory
24
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Carolina’s Answer
A 1440 is a great score, especially with a 730 in math. This shows you have strong skills for something like aerospace engineering.
If you have another chance to take the test, it might be worth it. Many schools use superscoring, which means they combine your best math and reading scores from different tests. You could pair your 750 math score from your first test with a better reading score from a future test.
Remember, the SAT is just one part of your application. Schools also consider your grades, the difficulty of your courses, extracurricular activities, and any engineering-related projects or interests.
If you aim for aerospace engineering, focus on improving your grades, building a strong math and science background, and getting involved in activities like robotics or engineering clubs. These can be just as important as a few extra SAT points.
So, go ahead and try again if you want, but don’t stress about reaching a 1500. A well-rounded application will help you more than just a test score.
If you have another chance to take the test, it might be worth it. Many schools use superscoring, which means they combine your best math and reading scores from different tests. You could pair your 750 math score from your first test with a better reading score from a future test.
Remember, the SAT is just one part of your application. Schools also consider your grades, the difficulty of your courses, extracurricular activities, and any engineering-related projects or interests.
If you aim for aerospace engineering, focus on improving your grades, building a strong math and science background, and getting involved in activities like robotics or engineering clubs. These can be just as important as a few extra SAT points.
So, go ahead and try again if you want, but don’t stress about reaching a 1500. A well-rounded application will help you more than just a test score.
Delete Comment
Flag Comment