<p>I know how Yale doesn't accept score choice so you have to send all of your scores. That being said, I have taken the SAT four times. I know this is usually recommended against, but there was a major improvement between the third and fourth tests (see below):</p>
<p>First test: October 2012
640 CR
600 M
780 W, 9E
2020 COMP</p>
<p>Second test: January 2013
710 CR
710 M
730 W, 9E
2150 COMP</p>
<p>Third test: March 2013
<em>720 CR</em>
650 M (...)
<em>800 W, 12E</em>
2170 COMP</p>
<p>Between the third and fourth tests, my W and CR stayed approximately the same but my math increased 150 points to an 800, bringing my current superscore to a 720 CR, 800 M, 800W = 2320. Do you think Yale will see it negatively that I took the test 4 times even though I increased drastically later in my testing? Thank you!</p>
<p>My opinion is completely based on what my brother who currently attends another ivy (not Yale) has said so I<code>m not entirely sure how valid this would be, but from what I</code>ve heard, colleges know that you will improve as you take the test multiple times. By the fourth time you should have been familiar with the structure and content of the test so your score would inevitably improve. Its obviously nothing to be proud about but I will say that I do have a friend who took the SAT 4 times(superscore 2380) who got into a lower ivy. Good luck and I hope everything turns out well!</p>
<p>Looking at your scores and that improvement at the end, it looks like you thought you could do better and kept trying until you did. If your scores showed a different trajectory or you had four sittings with little improvement I think it might not look great, but as it is the four sittings kind of make sense. You could almost make an argument for perseverance in this case. I mean it’s certainly not fun to take the SATs four times!!!</p>
<p>Did Y choose not to accept Score Choice because they wanted to see a testing record in order to assess an applicant’s perseverance? No, on the contrary, numerous sittings can indicate an ability to pay, obsession with test scores, etc. Think about it this way, for the same score, will Y look more favorably at a one and done or many multiple sittings applicant?</p>
<p>It is not important to OP whether Y will “look more favorably at a one done or many multiple sittings applicant”. Of course the four sittings are not ideal. No one thinks it’s ideal; OP wouldn’t be worried about it. But he/she has already taken the SAT four times and has to report it to Yale. OP is asking for input on how to think/feel about this as he/she completes the Yale application. His/her question is really: “this is ok isn’t it?” Since Yale’s attitude is neutral regarding the number of attempts:
<<he added="" that="" a="" large="" number="" of="" testing="" sittings="" will="" not="" necessarily="" have="" positive="" or="" negative="" impact="" on="" student’s="" application="">> (and I’m not sure that four really counts as a ‘large’ number these days)
wouldn’t it be prudent for the student to have a positive attitude about his four sittings as he presents himself to the University for consideration? I hate to say ‘a spin’ but an application is a presentation. And since according to Brenzel: “each piece of information in an applicant’s file is considered in the context of all other information about him or her”, finding a positive way to understand the multiple SAT sittings in a way that’s coherent with the applicant’s total profile (maybe as representative of something like perseverance or goal setting, for example) would be the productive approach.</he></p>
<p>My kids took the SAT once, the ACT once, 2 or 3 SAT II’s and done. However, if one of them had the testing history of OP, I would absolutely help them find a positive way to think and talk about that history. Predicting a negative judgment from Yale will only serve to compromise the student’s morale as he/she completes and submits the application.<br>
I hope it was encouraging to OP to read that “a large number of testing sittings will not necessarily have a positive or negative impact on the student’s application.”</p>