<p>I don’t believe that major state universities have the time to parse out these differences for tens of thousands of students. I might believe it at an LAC or small university dealing with only a few thousand applications (or even a few hundred in early decision rounds).</p>
<p>I have been impressed with Admissions officers. They are real human beings. </p>
<p>What would YOU think if a kid took a test twice? Probably that the kid wanted to push herself to do her best. Anybody can have a bad taco, a dying cat or a tough breakup the day of an exam. It is normal and human that one snapshot doesn’t always capture one’s best. </p>
<p>Be warned that sometimes scores do drop in second or third efforts. I don’t know that I would casually sign up for Round Two or Three without reviewing the previous test scores and figuring out where things went amiss. </p>
<p>At the same time, this student seems to have very strong scores. Maybe it would be a kindness to let the tests rest and put effort into the best GPA possible – or embrace the joys of being a senior.</p>
<p>^ In fact, my daughter backed into our other car, parked in the driveway, on her way to her SAT. Which just goes to show you…</p>
<p>Since her ACT was strong, I’ve since the original post told her that I think she should take the ACT once more, and if it isn’t a point higher we’d send the first, which would have turned out to be her best. I told her I would forget about the SAT for now.</p>
<p>We used the free score option on the last round of SATs at all the schools that required all the scores (which turned out to be most of them.)</p>
<p>I don’t think it ever hurts to take the SAT a third time, even if the scores go down, they are unlikely to go down much. Between the PSAT and the SAT, my oldest scored the highest in all three sections.</p>
<p>^^ Us too. Plus S’s last SAT sitting was for the Subject tests. We already knew his SAT I scores and he had taken two SAT II tests before that.</p>
<p>Just for the record…for 2009 33 is 99. 34-36 is 100. See page 10. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.act.org/news/data/09/pdf/National2009.pdf[/url]”>http://www.act.org/news/data/09/pdf/National2009.pdf</a></p>
<p>I doubt 2010 data changed much at these levels.</p>
<p>Waay back in 2006 girls scores above 32 were more rare than guys scores above 32 and a 32 was 99 for females. That gender score data for 2009 may be available from the ACT site also. I learned this as my D was contemplating retaking a 32 for merit aid. It was her decision that based on the sub-score data (outlier low science because she mis-read a chart and missed the whole section 
) that she would retake. Had it been anything other than that she might not have. IOW, she re-took because she had a 32 with a 29 (28?27?) Science and everything else 34-36 IIRC.</p>
<p>BTW, IMO it’s awfully hard for a scholarship committee parsing between excellent candidates to un-see a lower score. But, as always …that’s just my opinion.</p>
<p>Colleges only take the highest score. Go ahead and retake.</p>
<p>IDK, cur. In 2006, I had one “sore” subsection… (I think it was 25 or 26 M, 34-36 everything else, 33 composite), and still managed to get guaranteed admission to a health professions program with a full tuition scholarship, plus a few other substantial merit awards from other schools. OTOH, it may have hurt me at a couple of schools, and I do kind of regret not retaking (admittedly, I didn’t prepare for the math section’s “tricks.” When I took the GRE last year, I learned those tricks and did pretty well on the quant section of the exam by realizing it was, IMO, more about logic than math). </p>
<p>So, yes, someone in that situation (where one subsection sticks out and can probably be easily fixed) should probably should re-take, but one lower subsection won’t necessarily knock you out of the running, either. </p>
<p>JMHO.</p>
<p>As others have said, NEVER choose the “automatic send” to colleges.
Wait until grades are in, then send the best.</p>