<p>Alright, I'm really hoping for an early acceptance at Columbia, but I have a problem. The first time I took the SAT (and I don't mean to make excuses), was in January of '07 when I had influenza. I still gave it my 100%, but honestly, how much umph can you have when you're running 101 degrees in the head?</p>
<p>I got a 640 M, 650 CR, 680 W with a 9 on the essay...</p>
<p>I took the SAT again yesterday. I'm sure I did very well; my head was clear this time. I'm thinking 720+ M, 760+ CR, 800 W</p>
<p>Since my first time was so incredibly awful, would applying to Columbia be a complete waste of time and money?</p>
<p>No...they won't care about your original scores.</p>
<p>Really? I thought they averaged them together or something...</p>
<p>I know on the application it asks for your 3 best...but I didn't know if the others had any weight.</p>
<p>3 best individual sections? That's encouraging! </p>
<p>So I could study for all math one time, all CR, and all writing the next? You know what I mean.</p>
<p>If i get a 780 math, 600 CR and 600 Writing one time, and the next I get 600 Math, 780 CR, 600 writing, and the next time took it and got 600 math 600 CR and 780 writing.</p>
<p>Would my score be a 2340?</p>
<p>That's what it says on the application.</p>
<p>Well, if it makes you feel any better, I signed up for the SAT Biology test wanting Molecular but the only thing available was Envi. I ended up with a 480 and I'm waitlisted there :/</p>
<p>You can't technically study up for each section individually because you're only allowed to count your two latest tests.</p>
<p>Buuut yeah the scores aren't averaged, adcoms only consider the highest.</p>
<p>The SAT really isn't the type of test where you'll easily be able to study from a 600 to a 780 and then just forget it....like, it's not that easy to manipulate, so I think the best strategy is just to try and do your best every time.</p>
<p>So if one were to take it three times, only the last two would be able to be used on the app?</p>
<p>I don't even know if you're allowed to take it three times, because then they consider it a manipulation of the exam. So scratch my last comment.</p>
<p>I've NEVER heard of there being a limit to the number of times a university allows you to take the test.</p>
<p>If Columbia does that, I find that somewhat bizarre.</p>
<p>Err...some of my friends have taken the beast 5 times. I'm not sure where you're getting your info.</p>
<p>Sorry. It's up to six times. My guidance counselor told me two. Nevermind.</p>
<p>Good, your comment almost led to cardiac arrest.</p>
<p>This is the toughest school in the world to get into--8.6% acceptance rate. They scrutinize everything. If you messed up the first time it will not go unaccounted for. Will it be an automatic rejection though? No.</p>
<p>you have to send an actual score report in so while you could, theoretically, take it 3 times and bomb 2 sections each time, they would see that. they might not really care about it but it might say something about you that you dont want to be said...</p>
<p>So theoretically, if one got a 1900 first time, 2050 second time, and 2250 third time, the 1900 and 2050 would hinder the applicant's chances?</p>
<p>Eh, I love how numbers, and not much else, determine everything...</p>
<p>One test opposed to years of studying...I guess there are some things I'll never understand.</p>
<p>The point is that the adcoms SEE everything, even though they only say they consider your best score. If you take the SAT 6 times, the adcoms may think twice about what your best score really means.</p>
<p>I know that UPenn adcoms advise taking the SAT AT MOST 3 times. Anymore than that will reflect badly; at Princeton I've been told that even a perfect score is not taken seriously if you've had to take the SAT 5 times to get it.</p>
<p>And yes, like Columbia2002 said, they SEE the past scores and a 2300 taken in one testing will look better than a 2300 made by combining 3 separate test dates.</p>