<p>I don't know about you but I think taking the new SAT four times would be as painful as ripping your stomach open, stapling your intestine to a tree, and running around the trunk in circles, thereby disemboweling yourself.</p>
<p>Or something like that.</p>
<p>I personally took it twice, went from a 2230 to a 2290. Whatever.</p>
<p>I second that. I only took the new SAT once, and it was definitely torture enough.</p>
<p>i took old once, new once. after that new SAT ordeal, i couldn't be less eager to improve my math score. i'll stick with a crappy math and perfect CR and WR, thank you very much. An additional 60$ and 5 hours of hellish torture for extra math points....god, please, no.</p>
<p>I took the old once, and the new SAT's twice. The second time I took the new SAT I improved in all sections but my whole composite score improved only by 50 points. Sucks.</p>
<p>They will definitely think less of you if you take the SAT more than three times. What else could you be doing in that time instead of preparing for and taking another standardized test? You could be helping people, furthering your own intellectual interests, writing a book, tutoring, etc. Taking the SAT more than three times will give a false (or maybe damningly true) impression of where your priorities lie.</p>
<p>Thank God I only had to take it once... that was hellish enough. I know people who were still taking the December SAT and have taken it 4 and 5 times already, yet are still not satisfied. I can't imagine putting myself through such torture. That's 25 hours taking a test for what, a few extra points in math and a little bump in CR? I honestly think that after a third test there will be little if any improvment in scores. Is it really worth it to take the test that many times? And even if the score does dramatically increase, while the admissions committee only looks at the top score, they will see that it was taken so many times in order to achieve that score.</p>
<p>you are truly a pessimist</p>
<p>I'm a realist - and i wholeheartedly agree with pessimist on this one. saying that taking the SAT four times is a good thing is only an attempt at putting a good spin on a bad situation ... and a weak attempt, at that.</p>
<p>Harvard does actively discourage taking the SAT multiple times- It says so on the FAQ on their website under Standardized Tests.</p>
<p>Here's the question and answer:</p>
<p>"If a student takes the required tests more than once, which results does Harvard consider?"</p>
<p>"We consider a student's best test scores, but it is generally our experience that taking tests more than twice offers diminishing returns."</p>
<p>Way back in the 70's, when I was applying to colleges, I read a book ("Scaling the Ivy Wall"?) that included a group interview with admissions officers of several schools who gave their thoughts on three hypothetical applications. One of them expressed personal disdain for an applicant who had taken the SAT three or four times, with high scores every time. </p>
<p>Times have changed, of course; few people took it more than twice in those days, and most of us took it a single time. But people who serve on admissions committees are human beings, and may have subjective reactions to individual applications that are at odds with official policies at their schools.</p>
<p>Given how common it is now to take the SAT three times, I suspect that few would look askance at someone taking it four times, especially when there's been a change in the test format, and especially if they're telling applicants they'll take the top score from each segment of the test, regardless of when they were taken. (They weren't giving that advice in the 70's.)</p>
<p>I took the SAT once, 800/730/780 cr/w/m.</p>
<p>I don't like the way modern society perceives testing. I could have spent a lot of time in preparation and conceivably pulled an even better score, but as Pessimist said, I was doing more important things--like enjoying childhood. Jeez.</p>
<p>I don't mean to offend anyone, but I don't have immediate respect for a person with high test scores who shutters himself in a room studying and has no life otherwise. You all know those people--the ones who have no interests or activities or even hobbies outside of what might be attractive on a college app. Do what you want and like to do while you still can.</p>
<p>Before, people studied simply to have knowledge, and tests determined how much material a student had learned; in the modern world, students study material in order to pass tests.</p>
<p>But this is all just idealism. The world is the way it is, and unlikely to change. Cliche time: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.</p>
<p>Jesus Christ, the adcoms already have enough apps on their hands. They are NOT going to make "Taking the SAT four times" a rejection criterion. And again, to most kids, retaking the SAT is just five hours out of their lives. On CC, it's like 20+ hours of prep, but I'm sure the adcoms will assume the applicant isn't a testing freak. They have no way to confirm whether the student did or did not study for the test.</p>