<p>suppose i have these scores:
700 CR
800 M
770 W 12 essay</p>
<p>and i retake ....and get these scores
800 CR
710 M
710 W 9 essay</p>
<p>combined, my SAT score would be 2370......but with the huge drop in math and writing....does that demonstrate lack of consistency in my score, and be looked upon negatively? (also note the much lower essay...)
thanks!</p>
<p>dont retake it</p>
<p>can somebody answer that question though? I am hoping to retake to improve my CR and writing scores, but how will it look if my math score falls from 800 to the low 700s...will it reflect badly?</p>
<p>that exact thing happened to me (with slightly different scores).</p>
<p>my cr went up 40 to 800, while my math dropped 30 pts to 770 and writing dropped <em>60</em> to 710 - not good.</p>
<p>i'm worried about what colleges will think of this as well...my only advice would be to study hard and hope for the best. i went in cold and this was the result.</p>
<p>I dont see why they would fall so drastically. I didnt study Writing at all between December and April SAT and i got the exact same score. And if you are getting 800 in Math you shouldnt really fall to 710 because that is around 5 wrong? Just dont worry about Math and Writing and do a quick review right before the test. A few points drop is alright but what you are saying is pretty drastic.</p>
<p>At the upper scores it only takes a few questions to affect your outcome because the scores are curved to reflect a normal distribution. 700 to 800 is roughly from the 97th percentile to the 99.9th percentile. I know my son's scores went up by quite a bit the second time he took the test and he thought he only got a few more right (and had really done no additional prep).</p>
<p>The scoring isn't exact. By which I mean, they don't say that if the same person takes the test a second time, (s)he will score the exact same. The score would be expected to be in the same range, everything else remaining equal. That's why a score range is also given on your score report.</p>
<p>What field are you currently interested in pursuing? If math, science, or engineering, your CR and W are good and the math can't be beat. If I were you in this situation, I wouldn't retake. However, if you are interested in a social science, humanity, etc., it may be worth it to try to bring your CR score up. I don't know why your writing score would go down, though.</p>
<p>Probably at these levels of scores, the "inconsistency" would be seen as rather minor. You would always be in the upper percentiles. Colleges say they look at the highest component scores anyway ... why would they say this if they really don't?</p>
<p>Most schools will take your singe best SAT sitting, and NOT combine scores from multiple test dates. So if you were to get the scores you listed, your best score would still be your current 2270.</p>
<p>With your current scores you have no reason to retake the test. Really. They are excellent and strong enough for every school in the country. Congratulations!</p>
<p>Now it is time to move on and focus on the other components of your application...</p>
<p>
[quote]
Most schools will take your singe best SAT sitting, and NOT combine scores from multiple test dates.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>What I've seen people say on CC is that many do combine scores for the SAT, while few places do this with the ACT. I don't really know myself. What is the basis for your saying that "most" do not?</p>
<p>A person can always check with potential schools to see what they do because this is the most important ...</p>