With a 2290 (800 CR, 720 M, 770W), is it worth retaking for a fourth time, especially since my single-sitting scores are much lower than my composite? I’m only 10 points away from a 2300, and I’m pretty confident that I can improve.
Also, I’m a low-income Hispanic, which I think might confer some advantage. Princeton is my first choice, and I feel that a 2300 has a certain psychological impact on admissions officers that a 2290 lacks. Is it worth it, or should I take the oft-given advice that a fourth try looks too desperate?
2290 is no difference from 2300. It is not likely go grta boost in the 4th attempt. Spend your time on something else.
Well doesn’t Princeton use score choice? It isn’t possible that you will need to send 4 tests to Princeton since there only 3 sections you can send. The most SAT tests you should send is 3 because anything else won’t raise your superscore. You might as well take it again if you have the time because it is likely they won’t see it. But I agree with @billcsho in the end. A 2290 is no different than a 2300.
Not only is a 2290 enough, taking the SAT 4 times is viewed as a liability. The difference between 2290 and 2300 ([i[if* your superscore goes up) is never going to be enough to counterbalance the near-certainty that a 4th test will be viewed negatively. A fourth try looks too desperate, and, more to the point, you’re far past the stage where your SAT score will actually matter. Nobody is admitted to Princeton on the basis of test scores: they’re just a quick way to weed out thousands of applicants who apply on a whim, and a method for sorting students into very broad tiers (2250 is better than 2010). Spend your time on essays instead of SAT prep, and be thankful that 99% of seniors would gladly be in your place score-wise.
There’s honestly little to no difference between a 2290 and a 2300. Even if you don’t get into Princeton, it will not be because you didn’t get a 2300.