<p>Hi, I'm a junior and I've taken the SAT test twice, once in October and once in March. For Oct. I received a 2090 (720 CR, 680 M, 690 W) and for March I received a 2200 (690 CR, 740 M, 770 W). </p>
<p>With the deadline for the June SAT fast approaching, I'm debating whether or not I should retake the SAT. To be honest, I didn't really study that much for the Oct. or the March SAT. I think I took only took one full practice test for the March SAT. I haven't taken any of the SAT Subject test yet (I know...I'm behind). </p>
<p>Should I take the June SAT and then take the Subj tests (Bio, Chem, Math II) in Oct.?
Or should I just be happy with my score and just take the Subj tests in June? (Perhaps then i could retake any if necessary) My reaches are UC Berkely, UCLA, maybe NYU. </p>
<p>I am reluctant to take the Oct. SAT because I've heard that the curve was harsher. I once heard that the best times to take the SAT are in Jan., May, and June (in that order). I'm not sure if it's true but my friends that took the SAT in Oct. for instance had a tougher time than those that took it in Jan. and more people seemed to get a better score in Jan. Personally I think that they were all on the "same level". They got similar scores on practice tests. And the people who took it in Jan. didn't really study any more than those in Oct. even though they had extra time.</p>
<p>You should take the subject test in June if you are taking corresponding AP classes right now. Every time I see people saying they did not prepare/study for the test, I always wonder what is in their mind. Either you are so smart and self confident, or you are simply not serious about college. If you want to get into better school and perhaps get some merit aid, work hard in the summer and retake SAT (or ACT) in Fall. You may also try the June 8 ACT after a couple weeks of preparation.</p>
<p>-bump- please, I’m sorry, I just want a little more input</p>
<p>@billcsho, I have a problem with focusing, it’s very easy for me to procrastinate…Thank you for your help though!</p>
<p>Try taking “Focus Factor”. It works.</p>
<p>There’s no such thing as a better test date. If you look at <a href=“http://www.erikthered.com/tutor/SAT-Released-Test-Curves.pdf[/url]”>http://www.erikthered.com/tutor/SAT-Released-Test-Curves.pdf</a> you can see that the curve doesn’t really follow a pattern. Also, a harsher curve = an easier test, so they balance each other out anyway.</p>
<p>I recommend that you get your subject tests out of the way in June. Then, in October, you can decide if you want to retake your SAT I, or if there’s a subject test that you want to retake.</p>
<p>I’m in the same boat, I also received a 690 in CR and I didn’t think about taking Subject Tests until a few months ago…
What I decided is to take my three Subject Tests in June, retake SATs in October, and retake any subject tests needed in November.</p>
<p>I would put off retaking the SAT in June and take your subject tests instead. Your SAT is already in the range for those schools. I made the mistake of waiting until October for SAT IIs and my scores reflected that. If you are taking AP exams, make sure to do well on those.</p>
<p>Take the tests whenever you think you’ll be ready for them. I’d recommend spending some time seriously preparing for the SAT reasoning test. Based on test history and assuming that you are sufficiently motivated, you should be in the pool of students capable of scoring in the 2300-2400 (which isn’t that rare).</p>
<p>The long-term view is that the top students somehow “find a way” to score well on all of the standardized tests. Take the Subject tests in June…or in October…it really doesn’t matter.</p>
<p>FYI, UC schools don’t even require the Subject tests anymore.</p>
<p>The standardized test requirements for NYU admissions are very “flexible.” Applicants should submit one of the following: SAT reasoning test, ACT with Writing, 3 SAT Subject test scores, 3 AP exam scores, the IB diploma, 3 IB HL exam scores, or some other “approved” nationally accredited exam (see NYU website for details).</p>
<p>P.S. IMHO, you should avoid “Focus Factor” (overpriced multivitamin/herb pill) or any other supplements. Eat a balanced diet. Do some aerobic exercise daily. Get 8-9 hours of quality sleep every night. Boring…but effective. :-)</p>
<p>^ Besides vitamins, Focus Factor has phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine that are not in regular multivitamins. It is not so expensive either (~$7/mo). Anyway, having a balance diet does help. The problem is most people don’t have a balance diet, while fish is so expensive. As you said, having enough quality sleep is also very very important. Memory consolidation occur during sleep.</p>
<p>@OrchidBloom, thank you for that link, it was very informative. I suppose that there isn’t really an applied system to taking the SAT. I definitely thought about the advice that you and @sardonyx827 and @vanamo13 gave me. It made sense to take the Subject SATs as soon as possible so that everything was still fresh in my mind. And if anything went wrong, I could retake them in Oct./Nov. But ultimately even though vanamo13’s experience made me a bit wary, I decided to wait and take the Subject tests in October. I want to pour all of my efforts into doing well for the June SAT. I feel that perhaps if I pushed myself to study, I could possibly get a 2300+. Over the summer, I know that I will have a tougher time focusing. I feel that to really be ready for them though (esp. Math II and chemistry because I don’t have a math this year and am self studying chemistry), I need the extra time. Hopefully, I will find a way to make it through. @billcsho, I considered taking focus factor to boost my concentration but also decided against it. Sleeping is probably my priority (I only get about 4-5 hours a night)</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone for taking the time to respond and
@Bartleby007,Thank you for your advice, it really helped me make my final decision.</p>
<p>Good luck and study hard! Reach for that 2300+ :)</p>
<p>Sleeping is very important for your health and for memory. 4-5 hours is definitely not enough unless you are over 60. 
Good luck with your tests.</p>
<p>Definitely take the subject test in June and regular SAT in Oct.</p>
<p>The whole “seniors all take the test in October so the curve is higher” rumor is bull. No evidence proves it. Simple as that.</p>
<p>Also I’ve taken both in October and Jan- I felt it was around the same difficulty and I got the same score 2300+ both times.</p>