<p>Does anyone have any experience either positive or negative with taking the sat while in college to increase your chances of transferring? </p>
<p>I scored a 1960 in highschool which isn't awful but id like to apply as a transfer to columbia which makes me bottom bucket. I feel the rest of my application will be on par just not my SAT score. </p>
<p>my question is what happens if I score lower this time around? Im obviously going to do everything I can to prevent that but I am concerned. Im also not sure how much added benefit a higher score will grant me once they see I took it in college. Any input on these matters?</p>
<p>The general consensus around the transfer boards is that, unless your SATs are very sub-par or you didn’t take them at all, taking the SAT while in college is a waste of time and money. According to CollegeBoard, Columbia’s middle 50% have SAT scores ranging from 2080 to 2350. I don’t think 120 points is worth retaking the SAT and your 1960 should be fine (providing your scores are pretty similar and you didn’t get a 700 in one and a 500 in the other).
That’s just the general opinion I’ve seen around, though. You could call Columbia and ask them yourself.</p>
<p>so wait… lets say someone gets 1600 it high school you think he should retake the sat assuming he will do better ? and do all school allow that ?(to retake the SAT after high school ?)</p>
<p>Like I said before, this is just my opinion and the general opinion I’ve seen around the board, but I think a score of 1600 is too low for any ivy league (hell, it’s even sub-par for my current university, and I go to a Tier 1 state school). A 120-point gap may perhaps be overlooked, but a score of 1600 is more than 400 points off their lowest value in “middle 50%”. I think in those circumstances, it’s sensible to consider retaking the SAT if you think you will do extraordinarily better.
Also, keep in mind that the SAT is designed for high school students. If your SAT was 1600 in high school, getting a score of 1900 is probably not going to impress anyone. I think you would have to try very hard to maintain a near-perfect, if not impeccable, GPA and to make sure your essays and recommendations are excellent. I think you’re definitely at a disadvantage if your SATs were 1600 whether you retake them or not.
Then again, Columbia, HY, and Stanford are all crapshoots for everyone anyway. Other than academic excellence and the usual extracurricular/community service, no one really knows what they look for. </p>
<p>To answer another of the OP’s questions, if you score lower then you PROBABLY screwed yourself over. I don’t usually see people who retake their SATs during college, and I’ve never met anyone that has scored lower, but I’m using my common sense here when I say that if you score lower in a college aptitude exam while you’re already IN college, you might be in trouble.</p>
<p>@Sean Do you mind share your study method for SAT? Well I only speak/write English for 4 years, that’s the main reason I got that low on verbal/writing. PM me your method if you can. Thanks</p>