Don’t take it four times. I think that you’re too focused on Harvard admissions only. As gatortristan said, if stanford and upenn are also your choices, you should not take it more than three times. This does not only apply to stanford and upenn. Look at all the college admission tips website and any other SAT Test tip websites, and you will see that not a single one recommends taking the sat more than three times. In fact, they say three is the MAX you should take. I would recommend to not be so narrow minded and focus on one thing based on the policy of Harvard. Instead, keep the 2170 and focus on other aspects of your application, for the SAT isn’t going to make or break your resume.
@NParker Thanks, I’m going to have to consider on taking a 4th one now that I think about it. Strange enough, one of the “Ask the Dean” sites say you should take the SATs 2-4 times. Hmm… still thinking though
@foodwishes It is ultimately your choice, but keep in mind that Yale, Stanford, Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, and all the UC schools do not participate in score choice.
I agree with the general consensus that taking the SAT 4 times looks quite bad. There are definitely other ways you can show how good you are at math - if you ace the Math Level 2 Subject Test, for example, that will clearly show that your SAT 1 Math score is not reflective of your ability. Similarly, if you are confident you can do better in the CR section, try the English Lit Subject Test. I think scoring well on those tests would definitely help to compensate for your SAT 1 score, without making you look test-obsessed.
@CCSenioritis I was referred by my private counselor to consider Applerouth tutoring. I am a high school junior and took the ACT for the first time in Dec 2015 and my score came out to 32. I need to improve my Reading(30) and Science(30) scores. Less than 34 ACT score, I have no chance in the schools I have in mind. Is Applerouth invested in your improvement (I saw few posts on prepscholar where they said they are). Both are pricey with 10 hours of private tutoring and I cannot afford to waste any more money. Please suggest.
Personally, I say if you think you can increase your score by over 100 points (you said you could get 760+ in CR/M), you should retake it. That’s a substantial increase that would really help with admission to top schools.
I think colleges will only look at your 4th test badly if you get the same scores as before (because it looks like you’re trying for nothing). But, if you manage to score that much higher, it can only help you.
@thor9341 I thought Applerouth would’ve been worth it bc it brought a family member up to a 2300+. For me it didn’t have nearly the same effect. I went from only a 25 to a 29 super score and on the PSAT i went from a 1300 to an 1810. Your score is already exceptional but if u want to increase it, I would try self studying.
Side note: i did however like the books that applerouth has for sale.those are pretty helpful