Should I retake the SAT to improve my scores (college sophomore)? I know some banks require it and so do the MBB consulting firms. I know I can get a high score if I put in a few hours a day or should I focus on practicing for behavioral/technical interviews, networking, learning how to model, etc?
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I would say there is no need for it. What's your score now?
1300/1600, didn't study much for it but definitely can improve by at least 200 pts.
I'd prioritize networking and preparation for interviews. Only take it if you have extra time and I don't think most banks ask for your SAT.
lmao. Can you actually just take a step back and think about how ridiculous that is.
Yesterday I saw someone asking "Is Harvard still a target school?" Tough questions.
I recruited from a non-target in Fall of 2016 for SA. My SAT was not much higher than yours. During recruiting, I was asked about my SAT once at Credit Suisse and it definitely was a negative for my application. I ended up getting an offer at a top MM, but I know others from my school with similar profiles who ended up in EBs / BBs (one even landed CS). Long story short, yes your SAT matters to some banks, but it's not worth worrying about at this point. You can still get a BB offer if you bust hump and get out there to network.
Literally no bank/firm gives a shit about a test you took in high school
To those saying it does not matter, you would be partly wrong... Some banks ask about SAT scores. A low score can certainly be a negative.
Recognizing I'm in the minority on this one, I'd say go for it! I (and several friends) did that, scored very high, and it's been a huge benefit on my resume. Which is better-- a 3.9 from a no-name school or a 3.5 from Harvard? It's hard to tell, but a perfect SAT score goes a long way, and makes interviewers think you could have gone anywhere, but chose a smaller school for other reasons. (And in case you were worried, even with a perfect score, no one has ever asked me when I took it / retook it).
It's not hard to tell. I went a non-target and a 3.5 at Harvard would be exponential better than a 4.0 at my school any day.
Just leave the SAT off your resume.
If you have the time I would invest in maxing out your score. Even if banks are indifferent, your SAT score WILL come up during buyside recruiting and a low score could ding you for jobs that you are otherwise qualified for.
you could benefit more by investing the time literally anywhere else... go volunteer or something
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