Do most colleges look at SATs as a composite of the best scores?

<p>Do they?</p>

<p>I'm okay with my writing score and essay, but because of that I haven't really studied for it or prepared to have a good essay for tomorrow. If I do better on tomorrow's test than my first one (let's say increasing 50 pts) but do worse on writing, will that count against me if they take the best combined or will it not matter as long as they look at each score separately. Just to give an extreme example, out of three possible times, here are scores:</p>

<p>1 800 M, 500 CR, 600 W
2 590 M, 650 CR, 800 W
3 620 M, 800 CR, 490 W</p>

<p>Would they see that as an 800 on each (okay, maybe not at that extreme, but if all scores are relatively good) for a composite 2400?</p>

<p>Yes (assuming, like you said, there isn't a great disparity between scores on a particular test). Some college apps (USC, for example) ask that you put down your composites for two dates, then the composite superscore--your best sections.</p>

<p>Good, since to do well on writing I had to study the rules and practice, while my essay was good since I preplanned it (I also got lucky since my essay was about change and many of my practices were about change). Writing doesn't count all that much anyway though, but if I were to get an 80 MC next time, would they look at that as between 780-800 when combined with my essay score?</p>

<p>I honestly don't even feel very motivated to take them this time. Before I studied a month before, and for this one I just started after AP test. Maybe that's good since I know my scores are relatively solid already so I'm not under as much pressure, though still want to do better. Plus, the proctor I saw that I'm getting is better than my last one considering the fact that he didn't start timing from right when the time changed (we lost a minute on most sections) and other things.</p>