<p>Hi so I'm currently a junior and I took the SAT and did poorly but then took the ACT and did a lot better. I have a couple questions...
1. How many times should I retake these exams?
2. Will it look bad if I only send the scores I have now (without retaking these exams) ?
3. Will it look bad if I only send my ACT score?
4. It will be very hard for me to improve my ACT because I've done practice tests and I've always gotten the same composite, for the SAT, I took the PSAT as a sophomore and a junior and got the exact same score as on the SAT so is there anything I can do (if I should do anything) to improve my scores?
5. Does it look bad if I retake subject tests?</p>
<ol>
<li>If you have an ACT score that is competitive for the colleges you want to apply for, then congratulations, you are done with ACTs/SATs :)</li>
<li>Actually, it looks better to many colleges if you only take an exam once and do well on it.</li>
<li>No, the college will never even know you took the SAT if you choose not to send it.</li>
<li>If you are looking to improve your scores, I would suggest making one last go at serious test prep over the summer. Hop on the test prep board on this site, which has plenty of useful tips, make use of the website number2.com, (I personally did not use it, but it is always recommended around here), and continue taking practice tests.<br></li>
<li>If the colleges you are applying to participate in score choice, then no, again they wouldn’t even know how many times you took subject tests. If they don’t participate in score choice and are a highly selective college (i.e. Yale), perhaps they may look down on it a bit, but I just view it as there’s not that much you can really do about it. I would rather retake a mediocre score and risk having a 750 looked down on because it was my second try, than just sending in a 690 because I “can only take it once.”<br></li>
</ol>
<p>I had started my own thread, but I thought my question may fit in this thread as well. </p>
<p>I received a 31 on the ACT and from practice SAT tests, I’ve received no higher than a 1700. However, I would like to send in my SAT II Subject Test scores for Math II and Chemistry since I’m looking into engineering. I plan on retaking the ACT in September and I’m aiming for a 34+. Will it look bad if I send in both score reports or should I probably just stick to sending in the ACT? The colleges I’m looking into are UCs, Stanford, Columbia, Caltech, Harvard, Cornell, and Carnegie Mellon.</p>
<p>Going from a 31 to a 34+, especially when you just got a 1700 on the SAT, is highly unlikely. Not impossible, but I wouldn’t bet on it. First thing you need to do is reconsider that college list and make it align with what you actually have, not what you think you can get. Lots of great schools for a 31-32, but most of your list is beyond that.</p>
<p>Most colleges don’t particularly care about bad scores vs. good ones as they know that you don’t fail up on them. There really is no such thing as a fluke good score, or it’s so rare that no one considers it.</p>
<p>Thanks so much. Will subject test scores help me if I plan on just sending in my ACT scores? Most websites say “recommended” for subject tests but I’m not so sure if I should since my SAT I score would also be visible. </p>
<p>I believe that College Board which does the SAT/SATII offers score choice where you can pick the test date/ test scores you want sent to colleges. But if you have to send everything colleges typically use only the best of the standardized tests which would be the ACT in your case.</p>
<p>I haven’t heard that colleges don’t like it, except those which prohibit it (those that want all scores) and they clearly put that information on their web sites.</p>
<p>Send in the ACT and the SATII’s, SATI not included.</p>
<p>When an app says they are recommended, consider it required. I did the exact same thing as you and had no trouble with college admissions. You don’t have to use the SAT I to submit SATII’s or there wouldn’t really be an ACT or SAT option at every college.</p>
<p>^^I agree with the above. My older son did much better on the ACT than the SAT so he only sent in his ACT score and his SATII scores. He had no problem and got into his first choice school.</p>