Clarification on taking the SAT multiple times? Please help.

[Menson]

<p>Hello all,</p>

<p>First, I'd like to apologize in advance for being so uninformed on some of these details. Although many of you will view some of my questions as being self-evident, I am in the unfortunate situation of being several years removed from the high school system, and lack the word-of-mouth guidance from social peer networks which others might take for granted.</p>

<p>I've been under the impression that the SAT was something you could take as many things as you wanted with no penalty. Therefore, although I've yet to do any test preparation, I decided to sit in for the January 28th test to establish a baseline for my study plans.</p>

<p>I found myself completely overcome once the test was in front of me. The critical reading wasn't too bad, but I simply wasn't able to keep up with the pace of the writing multiple choice. And because I haven't been in a math class for years, I was completely lost in the math sections, completely befuddled by terms and equations which I've long forgotten. When the dust settled, I turned in the test with about 15 questions left unanswered.</p>

<p>I ended up scoring 2010, which I can't complain about. There will be three more tests this school year, administered in March, May, and June. My plan was to start studying today and to take all three tests, with the expectation of significant improvement.</p>

<p>However, I did some browsing on this forum today and some of the ideas being thrown around are confusing, even frightening, to me. I see posts about the possible advantages of one sitting, suggestions that taking the test more than three times is looked down by colleges, and unfamiliar terms such as Score Choice and Super Score.</p>

<p>Do colleges know how many times you take the SAT if you don't submit all the scores? Do some colleges require the submission of all scores? What is this Super Score, and how common is it? Did I mess up by taking the January 28th test without preparation, essentially "wasting" one of my attempts? Should I postpone the rapidly approaching March 10th test until I can log some actual study time?</p>

<p>Feel free to speak down to me, as what is considered common knowledge by others and taken for granted could be relevant and important to my situation.</p>

<p>Any input would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

[thesmiter]

<p>You must submit all scores to the colleges. They’ll usually look at only the highest score. If in doubt, look up admissions policy for each individual college, and they’ll clarify as to what they want. A superscore is a combined highest score, meaning that if you take the SAT more than once, they’ll take the highest score of each subsection and add it all together to make a superscore. The alternative would be the highest composite score, meaning that the college will take the highest single-sitting (one test) score. You haven’t messed up your superscore. There is no such thing as wasting an attempt - there’s no harm at taking the SAT more than once. But yes, there is a tipping point where you’ve taken far too many SATs - that makes you look desperate to raise your scores. If you’re unsatisfied with your score, just take it again until you are. You may to postpone the March test if you feel as though you would do no better than you did on the January test.</p>

[LoseYourself]

<p>It’s recommended to take the SAT up to 3 times.</p>

[IceQube]

<p>

@Menson

Do colleges know how many times you take the SAT if you don’t submit all the scores?

</p>

<p>Most of the time, colleges go off what you tell them. They do have the option of verifying with your high school about how many SATs you’ve taken and what scores you got on each. </p>

<p>The trick is to leave your high school code off your SAT when you take it. That way, you can submit only the scores you like, and even if colleges check your HS, they won’t find any information about the number of times you’ve taken the SAT.</p>

[jujumak]

<p>Ice Cube: Are you sure about SAT’s won’t report your scores if you leave out your H.S. code. I don’t think this is true. However, I do know that is true of the ACT’s. When you submit SAT scores, (At least to the top colleges, all scores are required) Score choice is often offered at the lower tiered school. All of my son’s schools required all SAT scores, i.e. Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Duke, Upenn, Tufts, etc. </p>

<p>So instead of taking multiple tests to see how you do, why don’t you just take practice tests and then when you are satisfied with your performance, actually take the SAT.</p>

[OhioMom3000]

<p>Some selective schools require all scores. Most schools accept Score Choice. There is a list on the College Board website. With Score Choice you can select which sittings to send. S’s HS does not send SAT/ACT scores, but you can request that your HS not send them in writting. If you study I think you will do very well with a 2010 first attempt. Did you purchase questions and answers? For the Jan. test you can do so. Work on your weak areas. You may only need to take it twice. Take next one in May or June, you can always take again in Sept if need be. I wouldn’t advise taking more than three times. Do not think you will need to. Don’t stress. It’s not that big a deal (2x, 3x). You will be fine.</p>

[yankeesfanatic]

<p>

Is there a loophole that allows colleges to “opt out” of Score Choice?</p>

<p>Colleges cannot “opt out of” or “reject” Score Choice. Score Choice is a feature available to students. Colleges set their own policies and practices regarding the use of test scores. The College Board does not release SAT test scores without student consent. This will continue under Score Choice. Colleges, universities and scholarship programs will receive the scores applicants send to them.

</p>

<p>I just saw this on the CB website. Does this mean colleges cant see scores you don’t send no matter what? Or can they still see them through your high school? Assuming I’m using scorechoice.</p>

[OhioMom3000]

<p>Some high schools do not send scores with transcripts. They are not official unless sent by CB. So, it is a waste for HS’s to send anyway. If they do, you can request in writing not to send them. I would not use Score Choice if the school requests all sittings. It is being dishonest. But I do not think they would know if you used it.</p>

[DrGoogle]

<p>Not only just SAT, some colleges require you to send all SAT and ACT. Penn for example.
[Penn</a> Admissions: Required Tests](<a href=“http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/applying/testing.php]Penn”>http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/applying/testing.php)</p>

<p>

Penn requires first-year applicants to take the SAT Reasoning Test and two SAT Subject Tests in different subjects OR the ACT Plus Writing. No preference is given to either test. However, Penn requires that applicants submit all testing results from each administration of the ACT, SAT, and SAT Subject Tests. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that official score reports are released and submitted to the University of Pennsylvania for all tests taken.

</p>

<p>Trying not to take the test multiple times if you can. Do not just take the any standardized test for a baseline or whatever, and only take it when you are ready and have practiced. So if you have a bad day, retake or cancel the score.</p>

<p>Edit to add that your sophomore PSAT should be your baseline if you need to know where you are in terms of testing baseline.</p>