I took the SAT in January and got my scores back today. Here’s how it looks: 2210 overall (740 CR, 730 M, 740 W). I’m pretty happy with it, although I really thought I did better on the math section. Looking back on it, I probably should’ve skipped a couple of questions that I wasn’t sure about. Oh well. However, although my mom is also proud, she says that I could do better on the new SAT coming out in March. If it makes a difference, I took the redesigned PSAT in October and received a 1500 out of 1520. I am also planning to take the ACT in June this year, as well as a couple of SAT II tests. My question is this - is it worth putting in the time and effort to study for and take the new SAT given my current scores? Should I not take the new SAT and try the ACT instead? Should I take both? Or are my scores now fine? Any help would be much appreciated!
Which tier of colleges do you plan on applying to? If top tier (HYPMS and near-Ivies like Duke, etc), I’d probably recommend my kid to re-take. Ditto if you’re going for competitive scholarships. Otherwise your scores already look impressive for most schools.
What grade are you in? If you’re currently a junior, do you think that you’ll be competitive for the National Merit cutoff in your state if/when you take the PSAT this fall? If so, then re-taking the SAT can even be “practice” for the PSAT (if making NMF is really important to you). If so, then I’d practice really hard for the new SAT and then re-take either right before or right after you take the PSAT in Oct – and kill 2 birds with 1 stone!
Are you stem-oriented? If so, you may do better on the ACT. Both of my STEM kids did. Performing well on the ACT requires being an extremely fast reader and test taker. But the science section can boost the composite score for STEM kids – plus the math was a lot more graphs and charts and my kids like the ACT essay slightly more than they do the SAT one.
Do you realistically think that you have a high chance of doing better if you re-take? If so, then I’d re-take. Keep in mind though that most colleges won’t superscore between the old and the new SAT. So you’d want to feel fairly confident that you can do better OVERALL and not just in one section – a harder thing to predict.
Well, then it probably mostly depends on where you plan on applying. Look again at my first (and last) paragraphs. If you’re not gunning for HYPMSC, then you already have a competitive score for most everywhere else.
If you are certain that you will improve your score and that you will have enough time to prepare adequately for the new exams, by all means go ahead. Just keep in mind that a 2210 is still a pretty good score. Good luck!
I attended admission info sessions last week at Princeton, Columbia, and U Penn. All three will take either test and as mentioned, none will super score across versions. If you can afford the price of the tests, I don’t see the risk in taking the new SAT and the ACT. My daughter is registered for the March SAT and will take SAT II’s in June. She planned on that being last round of SAT’s but she will probably take SAT again in Fall to get two scores for super score.
BTW, Columbia does not require SAT II’s (subject tests) if you submit the ACT but if you submit an SAT score, they do.
@Ariz0na you obviously like the format of the new SAT since you got almost a perfect score. Considering that, I would take it in March, May or June. You can see how that goes…and later in the fall decide if you want to take the October ACT… But your current SAT is great, and chances are you will do great on the new SAT based on the PSAT.
I’m in the same boat, I got a 2270 for the January SAT, which sucked because it was the EXACT SAME SCORE as my first try… I got a 1480 on the PSAT,
I was going to take the new SAT in March, but today’s the last day for late registration, and besides, there’s no more spots available. I’ve never heard of that happening before…
One of the returning students from my kids’ high school highly recommended taking both the SAT and the ACT. Evidently she did much better on the ACT and got into competitive Tufts. For my S2 I’m thinking to wait for results of the March SAT. If they’re not matching up to his 1490 PSAT (SAT scores should be back by 3/28) then the registration deadline for the June ACT is May 9 and it’s administered again the September.
I would leave it be for now. The CB is supposed to be adding a new test date in August so if you change your mind, you can take the new SAT then. I’d do the ACT and the subject tests now and see how you do. The 2210 should be a sufficient qualifying score for national merit.