I have a 1540 superscore (800 Math), and I am a junior in high school. Should I retake for 1570+? I am aiming for UPenn, MIT, Columbia, etc.
No 1540 is a great score.
You missed very few questions. At this level, every point gain potentially requires hours of studying.
What useful thing could you be doing with that brainpower and that time? Do you have schoolwork, extracurriculars, AP tests, subject tests to study for? Applying for any scholarships or competitive summer programs?
Most of the time it’s useless to retake a 1540 if you have anything else going on with your life. The time investment to improve is far higher than the chance of improving.
If you have a Saturday free in the spring and you feel like you have learned a lot over the course of the winter, it might take your fancy to try for a better score at a second sitting and maybe superscore higher. But honestly, it is very likely that you can find something better to do with your time to improve your chances of getting where you want to go.
You could also be in the 35% that your score goes down. Since you have already taken the test at least twice, that percentage could be higher.
Have you taken subject tests? If not, time would be better spent on prepping for subject tests.
Congratulations on good SAT scores!
Had admissions officer tell my son at one of the Ivies, we make two piles, those with sufficient grades and SAT scores, and those that don’t have them. We read essays, recs etc for those above the threshold and in the review pile. We do not sort by SAT or GAP, once you are in the right pile, SAT is no longer a factor. Don’t bother, that score will get you in the right pile.
why? They don’t care. Super score and be done, work on other areas of your application.
Bump
only at the superscore.
Schools that superscore generally look at most advantageous combination of scores. It may be more beneficial to focus on getting good grades this semester and preparing excellent applications, rather than studying for the SAT.
some schools require all scores taken.
^ I think that refers to first cut. And in that initial round, they do read full apps.
Odd that superscoring is one of the only gifts a college gives you and yet so many kids distrust it, are suspicious. They really do look for the best section scores.
There have to be more productive things you can do with your time.
If you think you can do much better than 1540 and don’t mind spending another 4 hours on a Saturday sitting in a test center. I would recommend giving it another shot for 1600.
Bump
1500+ = done in my book. I agree with the other posters who gave you the advice to move on and focus on other areas of your application.
I wouldn’t bother retaking it. Your scores are great.
I would do something else with your time. Your score is great. 10 points won’t make a difference to an admin, but doing something to help your community or family might.
Move from the 99th percentile to the 99th percentile?