<p>I just took the May SAT. I requested not to send a score report to any colleges.
I dont think I did as well as a liked, so im going to take it after summer again one last time. </p>
<p>Will colleges see both SAT scores? Because I only want them to see the one i will take after summer, which i am likely to do well on.</p>
<p>a lot of people warn not to take it more than three times
but based on my experience, if you think you can drastically improve, three~four times is okay.
I know someone who took it five times, got a 1500 on his/her last try, (old SAT) and got into Wharton.
Personally, I took it three times and scored 1550 on my last, which is up 50 points from the previous try.
As long as you improve, you can take it up to four, five times.
The colleges will see all your scores, but it won't matter too much.</p>
<p>I think as long as you improve significantly, there's little harm in taking the test multiple times.</p>
<p>Wow, this sure is a frequently asked question. I was just at the Exploring</a> College Options consortium (Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Penn, and Stanford) meeting last night in Bloomington, Minnesota. I attended the meeting specifically to ask this question, which comes up over and over again on various forums here on College Confidential, and in lots of other online discussion groups I participate in. Before last night's meeting, I emailed ahead to the admission offices of Duke, Harvard, Penn, and Stanford with quotations from earlier online threads in which students asked about the issue of retaking the SAT I. I also included short "fair-use" quotations from some replies (of varying points of view) that those student questions elicited. </p>
<p>After slide shows about each college, last night the audience of more than 200 students (and many parents) was allowed to ask general questions. I looked around to make sure I wouldn't cut off a student, and then stood up to ask my question. I said that I have seen many online discussions in which a student has taken the SAT I once, and is concerned about taking it again. I asked if that could have a bad effect on how the college would view the student's first score, to report more than one score. The Georgetown admission representative (the only one I didn't write to ahead of time) replied that when there are SAT I retakes after the second time, score increases are not usually seen. But Georgetown counts an applicant's highest score, section by section, and does so even if some of the scores come from the old two-section SAT I rather than the current three-section SAT I. </p>
<p>The Harvard representative, admission officer Julia Topalian, looked me right in the eye as she said, "Take it ten times if you want to; it's not going to hurt you." She continued by saying that test scores are but one element in evaluating applicants for admission, and "how you use your time is important." Harvard will look at what an applicant's extracurricular activities (ECs) are, and taking admission tests is not considered an EC. But specific to the issue of retaking the test, "You can take it as many times as you like." </p>
<p>I thought that was a good response to the groundless worries so many students have about one or two retakes before the final deadline for submitting SAT I scores for an admission application. (By the way, the Harvard representative said in a later discussion specific to questions about Harvard that the first admission test [SAT I or ACT with writing] in the year 2008 will still be timely for class of 2008 applicants in Harvard's new one-deadline application cycle. She also said it is NEVER necessary to rush scores--rushed scores and regular service scores arrive at Harvard at exactly the same time.) Don't worry--don't worry at all--if you think there is a good reason for you to retake the SAT I. Do remember that Harvard (and other fine colleges) every year pass over applicants with peak test scores to admit students with lower scores who have other desirable characteristics. There is no special admission wallop to taking the SAT I only once, and no guarantee of admission even with a perfect score. </p>
<p>I hope this helps the applicants in high school classes of 2008, 2009, and subsequent classes worry less and enjoy their activities more.</p>
<p>Thanks, tokenadult!!!!!</p>
<p>Whew...thanks tokenadult...I am so relieved...</p>
<p>
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Harvard says, "Take it 10 times if you want."
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</p>
<p>It appears that you blew the chance to get new information and trolled for sound bites instead, just as predicted in the other thread. </p>
<p>Your question to Harvard was not specific, and I doubt the representative was familiar with your battles in CC or trying to settle them. We have statements live on CC from two admissions officers at top 5 schools (AdOfficer and Ben Jones) confirming that the entire SAT score report is read, and that information beyond the number of retakes can be extracted from it and correlated with other data in the application. How often and in what circumstances that might be a live threat, are further questions to which we don't know the answers at present.</p>
<p>I find it extremely unlikely that Harvard is any different or less discerning than MIT or Adofficer's school (which may be Harvard). A Harvard admissions officer telling us, in effect, that highest scores are computed by the same formula whether from two sittings or ten tells us very little that we didn't already know. Had you posed to her more specific questions such as posed to Ben Jones and AdOfficer in the other thread, you might have elicited a more nuanced response.</p>
<p>The representatives who appeared at the Exploring College Options meeting saw relevant quotations from CC posts emailed to them in advance, and they said what they said in front of an audience of more than 200 students and about the same number of adults to make their point in their words. The current (2006-2007) edition of the official register of Harvard University (ISSN 0199-1787), which was distributed at the meeting, says, "You may take tests more than once; we consider only your highest scores." This publication should be easily available from Harvard's admission office and was evidently published before any of the last dozen or so threads on CC about SAT I retakes were posted. I can't help people who have an idee fixe about what THEY think the Harvard admission office does; all I can do is post a verbatim quotation of what a Harvard admission officer who considered the question said about the issue in a public meeting.</p>
<p>
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Whew...thanks tokenadult...I am so relieved.
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</p>
<p>That was my point, and I rather think it was the Harvard admission officer's point too. You should be able to enjoy your high school years with lots of challenging activities and no worries about whether you take the SAT I once, twice, three times, or--as the admission officer said to make the point abundantly clear--ten times. I'm sure you'll have good sense enough to take the SAT I just often enough to get a good score, and will spend the rest of your time with other worthwhile activities. Good luck in your applications.</p>