<p>No reason to retake scores that are over 1500 unless you are up for a scholarship that requires higher scores. </p>
<p>BTW, I think he would get higher scores if he were to retake at the end of junior year (May or June)--just because of the greater maturity/learned more factors. But with 1500+ scores already in the bag, there's not much reason to do so.</p>
<p>Another vote for not re-taking. Great scores - cross this off your son's list and move on!</p>
<p>Another "No" vote.</p>
<p><a href="If%20for%20no%20other%20reason%20than%20it%20would%20make%20him%20eligible%20for%20merit%20money%20at%20Harvey%20Mudd.">quote</a> It didn't happen. His scores are identical except for math which went up all of 10 points.
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<p>Heh. My son is going to take the SATs again this Saturday because he is 10 (that is TEN) points away from Mudd's "merit scholarship" level. He took it in 8th grade and 11th grade. At least he isn't a real zealot -- compared to the kids who have taken every available sitting since they were 13.</p>
<p>Hi jym- yet another no vote here. Time to move on to new and better things- SAT IIs etc. And give your son an atta boy from me!</p>
<p>"Why should a college want students to take the SAT more than once? Colleges don't ask that students take the AP tests, course finals (high school or their own) more than once? They have enough materials to judge a student by: GPA, SATs, SAT-IIs, APs, ECs, recs, class rank, essays, awards... I know of no other educational system in which adcoms look at so many different factors."</p>
<p>Sorry, I was speaking in general terms not paying attention to the actual scores of this particular student. Yes, these scores are over 1500/2400. Does not make sense to retake.</p>
<p>While there are VERY few reasons not to retake, there are even fewer that dictate to fear a retake. </p>
<p>For starters, there is NO downside when it comes to scores. The ONLY thing that matters are the final scores, and in almost every highly competitive school the final MIX of scores. While there is NO evidence of score averaging or other negative assessments by schools, there are many, many accounts of schools that openly encourage multiple sittings. </p>
<p>The one time when a high score is worth retaking is when the students FEELS being capable of doing better. In this case, the student seems capable to score a bit higher on the math section and as much as 60 points on the verbal. For the record, a score of 1510 on the old scale would have been a borderline case for a retake at most of the schools discussed on CC. The indicator is provided by USNEWS where one can easily establish the yardstick at the 25%-75% norms. Pick your baseline! </p>
<p>However, the best reason to retake a 1510 is the "make sure" factor. One of the worst feeling might come in a series of "what if" in April. A few years ago, one father was asking if it was worth retaking a slighly higher score than Juym's son. I suggested a retake --quite against the tide of the thread. A few months later, the father came back to share that the decision to retake worked ..very well. </p>
<p>Since then, the ACT has added another dimension ... as well as new strategies. In this case, I would recommend to sit for the ACT since the ACT does not have to released and that it might take care of the SAT Subject Tests requirements at several schools. On the issue of strategies, while I am adamant that the scores of multiple sitting do NOT go much farther than the eyes of a minimum wage technician who transposes the HIGHEST scores onto the reading folders, if someone is truly afraid of losing the "one score only" illusory cookie, one trick is to take the latest possible before sending the SAT scores. That way, the submitted scores do not appear on the report but can be ordered later, in case they improved. </p>
<p>The decision not to retake should be dictated by the student being SATISFIED with the scores at HIS or HER target schools. It should NEVER be dictated by idle speculation, misinformation, or evern worse, mythical tales about how school interpret one sittings.</p>
<p>My son DID retake his 22-something sat and went down slightly over 100 points overall, even though he acheived his goal of a perfect score in one section. At his high school, all SAT College Board scores are listed on the official transcript. I think that, with sats, all scores (including sat 2's) are included on every report sent to the colleges by College Board. Anyone know??</p>
<p>Have your son take the ACT if he wants; unless you specifically list your high school code, no one gets the score except you. Also, ACT sends out individual score reports so you can pick and choose what colleges see. </p>
<p>Best to look at percentages. We should have been happy with the first SAT that put him in the top 96-99% and will be happy with his ACT, which is in the 99%, although it is tempting for him try for a "better" or more "perfect" score. Does any kid's admission really depend on whether he is in the 98% versus the 99% or 100% on a one day standardized test? At that level, it is just luck to be 1% point higher. Grades are more important than one or two percentage points higher on the tests. I'm sure my son would trade a perfect SAT or ACT for straight A's on his transcript</p>
<p>"It should NEVER be dictated by idle speculation, misinformation, or evern worse, mythical tales about how school interpret one sittings."</p>
<p>Exactly. No one knows for sure how the adcoms look at multiple sittings.
There is no solid evidence that multiple sittings help. (particularly with a starting score of 1510.)</p>
<p>However, if a student with a 1510 retakes the test 4 times and gets a 1550 by taking some composite score, it may not help in admissions. Does it give the kid "bragging" rights? That is also subject to interpretation.</p>
<p>There is absolutely no reason to take it again. Your son can relax with regard to testing now. Congratulations!</p>
<p>From collegeboard's website.</p>
<p>According to this, taking the test multiple time may help the lower initial scorers. (not the high scorers.) Based on the information provided by the original poster, the scores in question would clearly not fall in the "low" category.</p>
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No reason to retake scores that are over 1500 unless you are up for a scholarship that requires higher scores.
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I'd forgotten that one of the schools he is strongly considering has a "scholars" merit scholarship (big bucks) which usually requires a 1550+ (old) SAT to be considered. This might be the only reason to retake. I guess we have plenty of time to worry about it. Bragging rights has nothing to do with it. He is not that kind of kid.</p>
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Exactly. No one knows for sure how the adcoms look at multiple sittings.
There is no solid evidence that multiple sittings help. (particularly with a starting score of 1510.)
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<p>Nope! There is PLENTY of evidence that schools do encourage multiple sittings. There is PLENTY of evidence that retaking the tests does help, ranging from the VAST anedoctal by hundreds of students on CC all the way to the research of Tom Fischgrund (based on REAL SAT files at College Board. If that does not suffice, why don't you ask Curmudgeon and TheDad to repeat what they have shared about their D's repeated scores? </p>
<p>I could add that I could rely on the countless emails and message from College Confidential students who increased their scores by 100 to 300 points, but for some reason, I assume that it would dismissed as self-serving hearsay. </p>
<p>The issue is not about retaking SAT for the sake of taking more tests. Retaking tests without an dedicated and adequate preparation is not the same as preparing for a retake. Also, there is a difference between a student taking the test 4 or 5 times and a mere retake. This said, Tom Fischgrund showed that a candidate who took the SAT FIVE times was nonetheless accepted at Harvard. </p>
<p>No two cases are identical!</p>
<p>PS Again, the overall scores are not very meaningful in in the very HIGH ranges. Three scores of 2100-2200 might very well represent a perfect 2400. In the past, a 700V-800M followed by a 800v-700M was STILL a perfect 1600. And 1600 was the score that found itself on the application at highly competitive schools.</p>
<p>jym,
The "bragging right" comment wasn't directed at your situation. Sorry if you interpreted it that way . I have seen many kids (and parents) on this board boasting about such SAT scores after the third or fourth try. They seem to think that a 1550-1580 after three or four times is better than a 1510-1530 on the first try. I don't think it is. (I also think that a 1550 cut-off for a merit scholarship may be unreasonable if that is the only factor that decides whether a kid gets money.)</p>
<p>OK, no offense taken. THis one particular school (one of those $45k schools) does apparently look for 1550is and above SATs for this scholarship. Thy have other $, but the BIG money has the higher SAT expectation. I realize there is no guarantee he'll hit it, but he's close, and its only Nov of Jr. year.</p>
<p>I'm glad someone mentioned the scholarship angle, because to me, that is the only real reason to retake. Also look at the Byrd scholarship becasue eligibility for it is based on test scores, and it may have to be senior year test scores.
Admissions wise I think he is great. My daughter took the SAT once and stopped, ACT twice, but only because she had already registered for the second ACT before her SAT scores came through. She went down on the ACT. She said the 2nd ACT was noticeably harder, but I think that it was also difficult to get psyched and really concentrate when you know you already have 2 acceptable sets of test scores.</p>
<p>Agree. Only retake for the scholarship. Just enjoy otherwise. No school in their right mind will make this be about 50 points somewhere.</p>
<p>"Byrd scholarship becasue eligibility for it is based on test scores, and it may have to be senior year test scores."</p>
<p>Unless it differs by states, junior year scores are fine. But I think in some states it has to be ACT.</p>
<p>Retake the SAT senior year in October. Send all the colleges your initial scores, then retake it to see if you can raise the scores. 1600/2400 will open up the doors to Harvard (only 1 out of 4 perfect scores are rejected, 75% admission rate) and 1550/2350 will help with merit money. However, because you would have already submitted these amazing scores, a drop in SAT scores next October will have no affect on admissions. He should also think about taking the ACT. If practice tests indicate that he may get a 36, what harm can happen from taking the ACT once?</p>
<p>If you google the Byrd Scholarship eligibility criteria, this is what you get for SAT information.</p>
<p>".. a minimum SAT score of 1875 at one sitting and a minimum unweighted GPA of 95.00 in selected academic courses, or a 3100 GED score and a SAT score of 1875 at one sitting..."</p>
<p>Interesting that this mentions one sitting. Also interesting that the minimum score of 1875 (out of 2400) seems much lower than a requirement of 1550 (out of 1600).</p>
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They seem to think that a 1550-1580 after three or four times is better than a 1510-1530 on the first try.
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<p>No matter how one slices it, it IS! No brownies or little golden stars come with the College Board reports. </p>
<p>There are no schools in the country that DO increase a score because it came from one sitting. The numbers speak. And by the way, how does the logic apply when the first score was 1510 and the second 1580? Was it the percentile difference between a 1580 and a 1510 at HYPS?</p>