I am trying to decide whether or not I should take the SAT a fourth time..

[alissakp]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I made the mistake last year of taking three SAT's in a row with barely enough time in between to improve because I wanted to "get them over with." My score stayed exactly the same. Does it look bad to schools that I took them four times? usually when I ask people if I should take them again, they tell me I shouldnt because I will "wear myself out," but standardized tests really dont bother me, I wont have a problem taking it again.


I took it in march, may and june.

and i want to take it this weekend on standby (november 1st)

I am just afraid that it will look horrible if i didnt improve again, or even if i do improve, does the fact that it took me four attempts to get there make me look bad? Personally, I am just determined to get an extra 20-50 points for the scholarship I want.

 

[Docere]

This article might apply to you. In case you can't open it:

Four times? You'd better have a good reason
Many students obsess about their SAT scores. While it is true that the SAT does play a significant role in college admissions, there's a lot more to the application. If you feel that you need to take the SAT one more time in order to raise your score another 10 or 20 points, it's most likely not worth your time.

In rare cases, you may actually have valid reasons to keep taking the test until you earn a certain score. For example, if you have ambitions of becoming a college athlete, NCAA rules dictate that you achieve a predetermined score to be able to play intercollegiate sports. But for most college applicants, taking the SAT four times is at least one time too many.

But yes, taking the SATs four times isn't a good thing. Unless you made a very low score on the SATs the first three times you took it (or a very high score), don't take it again. If you made a very low score, you should probably make certain you get a VERY good score on this next one. If you made a very high score, you better be aiming for the perfect 2400 xD

If you made a mediocre score, consider not taking it again. If there's no set minimum SAT score specified on your scholarship, don't worry about it. Schools will accept you.

 

[alissakp]

Thanks, the article is very helpful.

I've decided to take it today, but not send my scores to any schools. That way, if I dont improve by a significant amount, nobody has to know!

I kind of do need to take it to raise 20 points (even though its not reccomended in the article) to get a 13,000 scholarship at my dream school rather than 11,000.. and if 20 points can make that big of a difference I think its worth it... and if not, then its not meant to be and i wont stress over it anymore or send my scores.


wish me luck, i appreciate it!

 

[alissakp]

so to anybody else who might have the same question I did when I started this topic, I just wanted to say that my 4th time taking the sat I went up 100 points, this made me so much more confident with colleges and I got in everywhere I applied so far, with even better scholarships than I would have gotten with my old score.

I didnt send my score to any colleges at first when I had the option to do so before the test. Instead I waited until i got my scores back, that way if they turned out to be worse or no improvement, nobody would have to know at all. everything worked out though!👍

 

[ShaneK]

I thought you could take it as many times as you want and the best one was all that mattered. *shrug* All of my counselors in high school recommended taking SAT/ACT multiple times...

 

[broken tibula]

You can take it as many times as you want and colleges will look at the best one, but they'll also look at the fact that you took it ten times. And think you're utterly ridiculous.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

I thought you could take it as many times as you want and the best one was all that mattered. *shrug* All of my counselors in high school recommended taking SAT/ACT multiple times...

Multiple times but you shouldnt exceed 3 in my opinon. some of my college advisors told me it was an unwritten rule, its not look favorable upon. Makes one look like they are hung up over a test. Hopefully you took it 3 times (SAT I). Also 3 times a is a lot unless you space it out, im assuming you guys want to leave room to take SAT II's?


to OP, if you list your scores we can give you a better idea as to if you need to retake. March, May, June, are awfully close to eachother, and the fact that you took them and didnt do so well (according to what you said), shows that you didnt give yourself enough time to prepare.

The first time i took my SAts were in May, then i think SAT ii's in september, and then SAT I again in october.

 

[IK00NI]

A friend of mine mentioned the other day that some Colleges allow you to use the best score from each of the three sections; sort of a mix and match kind of deal. Does anyone know if there's truth to this, and if so, any guess as to how widespread this policy is?

 

[ShaneK]

A friend of mine mentioned the other day that some Colleges allow you to use the best score from each of the three sections; sort of a mix and match kind of deal. Does anyone know if there's truth to this, and if so, any guess as to how widespread this policy is?

I've never heard of that.

 

[xnfs93hy]

A friend of mine mentioned the other day that some Colleges allow you to use the best score from each of the three sections; sort of a mix and match kind of deal. Does anyone know if there's truth to this, and if so, any guess as to how widespread this policy is?

Super scoring. You send in all your scores and they only use your highest ones. It works to your advantage.

No, not every school does that I don't think. I know the University of Tennessee does though. I think.

 

[ShaneK]

Super scoring. You send in all your scores and they only use your highest ones. It works to your advantage.

No, not every school does that I don't think. I know the University of Tennessee does though. I think.

Only few, if any do that.

 

[MDJT]

A friend of mine mentioned the other day that some Colleges allow you to use the best score from each of the three sections; sort of a mix and match kind of deal. Does anyone know if there's truth to this, and if so, any guess as to how widespread this policy is?

Yea My psychology teacher told me that! I'm not to sure how true that is though
😎

 

[EyEnStein 07]

Only few, if any do that.

Many schools do this and its true. Some just dont want to share it, but they do. If you think about it....its actually advantageous to them, because come time to list the class profile, what do you see? that there average SAT scores are bumped up, making the school look better.

This policy is adapted by MANY colleges in the US.

and for your information, Princeton, Columbia, and Dartmouth, all Super Score. Let me prove it:

Read Required Tests:
http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/standardized_testing/

Read Standardized Testing A:
http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/applications/firstyear.php

Read Standarized testing after 3rd (TOEFL) bullet:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/apply/admissions/testing.html


All schools have similar pages, go to them and find out for yourself. Im fron NY, MANY schools here do this, if Princeton, Columbia, Dmouth does...you can only imagine.....the only one school i know from the top of my head that Does not is BROWN university.

Realize im giving you the most elite schools in the US to prove the point that many other schools inferior (in terms of rank) have the same policy.

 

[Salvorix]

Yea My psychology teacher told me that! I'm not to sure how true that is though
😎

It's true with a lot of Liberal Arts colleges, I don't know about big universities though.