<p>I scored a 2300 (730 reading, 790 math, 780 writing) on my first try on the SAT, but I feel like that's not enough to compete with thousands of other ivy applicants who have scored better. I am signed up to take the SAT again in October, and I also signed up to take the ACT in September (in hopes that I perform better on this test). If I do not score well my second time on the SAT or first time on the ACT, will it hurt my chances considerably? Is the chance of improving my scores worth the risk or potentially damaging my chances?</p>
<p>As far as I know, most or all of the Ivies will super-score your SAT. Meaning, they’ll take the highest section scores across all dates. Right now, it looks like you’ll probably improve on the CR section, but will likely drop in math and writing. That’s okay.</p>
<p>And if you drop in all three sections, they’ll only look at your 2300 (which is still more than adequate).</p>
<p>I recently visited a few colleges and I know that at least Yale, Columbia, and Stanford require that all of an applicant’s scores be reported. They super-score the SAT, but if they require that every single score report be sent in, then it probably means that they take all the scores into consideration, right? In which case, will retaking the SAT and scoring lower hurt more than retaking and scoring higher help?</p>
<p>I was reading the admissions policies of a certain college (I want to say Carnegie Mellon but I’m not sure), and they said that they consider all SAT scores but they put the most weight on the superscore. This would mean that getting a lower score on every section of the SAT the next time you take it would hurt you. Most colleges who superscore probably do this. I personally think your score is good enough because your lowest section is a 730. If you think you can improve your Critical reading, you should do it. Otherwise, you should either take the ACT or just not take anything. Do you have good SAT Subject tests? You might want to spend your time on those if you don’t have pretty good ones. At this point, it’s more important that you make sure your essays/application portray you in the right light for colleges.</p>
<p>Okay thank you for the advice. I already have my subject SATs done (800 Math II, 800 Bio, 790 Chem, 710 Spanish) so my plan now is to just take the ACT and SAT tests that I signed up for, and unless I feel really confident about my scores, then I will probably cancel them. The difference between having a 2300 and a 2350 isn’t that much, is it? Either way, I will definitely take your advice and put more of my effort into writing all my college apps. Once again, thanks!</p>
<p>I would not take it again</p>
<p>my son got an 800 CR, 800 writing, and 700 math</p>
<p>so he could conceivably take the math again and try to raise his score, but I think that would be going overboard.</p>
<p>If you knew for sure that at all the schools you were applying to, that they simply superscore, and that’s it, then I would retake, but from what people have responded to you so far, there would seem to be some downside risk of taking it again.</p>
<p>As it is, your scores are in the ballpark for just about every top college.</p>
<p>Unlike some, I am a big believer in standardized tests, because how else can you compare John’s 4.0 average at a small high school in Iowa with Bill’s 4.0 average at a big city high school. But they were never meant to be analyzed in such a narrow manner that a college would say that John is “better” than Bill, because he got a 740 instead of a 730.</p>
<p>I completely agree with you on the merits of standardized testing, and it’s also a comfort to know that at least I am in the ballpark of consideration among Ivy-level colleges. I have another question though. If I take the ACT and I don’t do well, do I have to send those scores in? I know that colleges require the reported scores of every SAT test that you take, but I’m not as familiar with the ACT.</p>