Retaking the SATs before transferring out of Community College

In November of 2015, I took the SATs in the beginning of my last year of High School. I was under heavy medication at the time of the test due to suffering from seizures in the summer and spring, and I don’t believe my scores were anywhere near as good as they should be, in fact I think they were abysmal(Reading 490, Math 600, Writing 430). I’m currently a sophomore in community college, and I should have a 3.4-3.6 GPA (Upward trend with more difficult classes) after this semester along with heavy involvement in extra-curricular activities. I’m considering registering for the December SATs before transferring, and I was curious as to whether I should take the subject tests or just the general test at this point for transferring?

You need to find out if the places you will be applying to will accept scores from tests taken now. Many places won’t.

Rather, to rephrase what @happymomof1 is saying, you should see if the places you’re applying to REQUIRE you to submit scores at all. While you are able to submit scores for tests taken at any time (as long as you can take the exam and submit the results before the application deadline), most schools don’t even require standardized testing for rising junior applicants.

@Transferstalker Would it make my application look stronger if I retook the SATs and performed significantly better? Most schools that I look at, while they mention that they do not require SAT scores, simultaneously mention that most of their successful students have high standardized test scores. Would my application look weaker if I withheld my test scores?

You need to ask them if they will accept new scores from tests taken after you began college. Some simply won’t. It also ia important to know when thoe reported high scores were earned. It is entirely possible that they were from the regular testing rounds when those students were in high school.

Lots of excellent CC students never took the SAT or ACT, so it won’t look strange at all if you don’t report a score on a transfer application.

I know of only one university that has that policy, which if Washington University at St. Louis. Otherwise, as far as I know, you can retake the test after high school.

@Politikal In any event, if I were you, I wouldn’t sit for testing.

Unless you are applying to the very top colleges (and I assume w/ your GPA, you are not?), most colleges won’t be overly concerned with your test scores; some may not even require it at this point. I agree w/ the other posters; there’s little point in taking it now.