<p>My son received his SAT scores this morning:</p>
<p>760 math
590 CR
630 writing (9 on essay)</p>
<p>He is taking the test again in March and is going to be studying vocabulary in between...don't know if that will be enough but I guess that's a question for another thread.</p>
<p>His question is this: What if he takes the test again and improved his reading score, but his math goes down? (In practice tests he had been getting a 690/700 in math...so let's say this happens.) Will colleges really look at his best scores, or will they think that the 760 was just a fluke?</p>
<p>Most colleges superscore....or combine your best score in each section from more than one sitting. Other colleges simply take your best sitting. I think the UC's take best sitting. </p>
<p>My son also took the Jan. SAT. He did worse on the real thing than any practice test he had taken. On practices he scored an average of 770M, 720W, 620CR. His score for Jan. was 700M (really expected higher considering he scored 770 on Math Level2 subject test), 650W (with a 10 essay), 610CR. Oh well, I guess he will try again in the spring.</p>
<p>wow. the SAT i don't miss it at all. but 760 is a great score. if he doesn't get any better than that then that will be his M score. focus on CR. if he gets that up he'll automatically become more competitive and increase his chances of receiving merit aid. </p>
<p>little anecdote.. i took the test 4 times. i knew i could get an 800 on math but always "choked" i guess. my fourth time i got an 800. and on every college log on site where it lists my application status, all it shows it that 800 and my CR score. so most school will take the highest score no matter what. congrats and good luck.</p>
<p>It is also time to consider preparing for the ACT. One of my son's scores were much higher on the straightforward but long ACT..and one of my son's essentially had the same score on both...
I would suggest that he do ALL of the reading sections in the 10 Real SATs this summer...and focus on understanding the answers...my son's did the slower method of studying the answers without timing themselves at first...There is a text produced by another company that has full explanations of the 10 Real SAT's answers that is excellent to help you son learn "what he is missing" when he answers the reading passages.</p>
<p>Just like to add one caution. Although colleges might officially superscore for the most part, the fact is that they will see your son's lower scores and, as it says in Cracking College Admitions (Princeton) this can affect either conciously or subcontiously and admition officer's final decision. However, they say that in big universities this is less likely to occur as they receive many more applicants and have to make their decisions based on mathematical formulas rather than individual analysis.</p>
<p>This student can take the cautionary road of prepping for the ACT WITH writing. do not omit Writing..our biggest mistake...because you would have the choice at a long list of schools of only sending in the ACT
personally I think full disclosure is usually the way to go..colleges do read essays, and put things in context of home high schools and references</p>