<p>My daughter just got her scores. She went down 40 in Math, up 10 points in CR, and same in writing. So if schools combine, she gained 10 points. She studied on her own since first SAT. Will it look bad that her Math went down? Is taking it a third time worth it? They might go down more? She is not happy!</p>
<p>Taking it a third time is probably not worth it if she only studies on her own. Clearly, what she is doing on her own is not paying off.</p>
<p>It is possible, though, that if she takes a prep course, a third try might be worthwhile.</p>
<p>In the SAT report they break down the sections by score and tell you the percentages of people who go up or down with a retake. If I remember correctly, the higher the score, the less likely it is to improve. My son went down 100 points total, but if his two SAT's were superscored he would get the same exact score as he got the first time. I have to say that I regret having him take it again since he was over 2200 the first time (as a sophomore) so in retrospect it may have been unneccessary. However, anyone can have an off day. If your child takes it a third time and goes down twice in a row, it may start to look like her first test was lucky and her subsequent tests represent a downward trend. If her score is acceptable, I would leave it alone. Concentrate on the ACT... you can take that a zillion times and the colleges will only see the highest score.</p>
<p>Does she want to go into a math-oriented field? If so, trying to get her math score up may be helpful. If not, it's not worth the time, especially for schools that superscore. </p>
<p>I also think that down 40 and up 10 is just the kind of random fluctuation that could be accounted for by the way she's feeling that day. And I don't think that the difference is really statistically significant.</p>
<p>Agreed that, if she takes it again, she should go to a prep course or get some tutoring.</p>
<p>What has she got to lose by taking the test again (and again and again and again)?</p>
<p>Look at it this way. If her math scores presently are unacceptable to a college, and she takes it again and scores higher, then one of two things will happen. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>If the college accepts the third score and accepts her, good for her! </p></li>
<li><p>If the college does not accept the third score because the first two scores were lower (which I don't believe would ever happen in the first place), well- she wouldn't have gotten accepted in the first place anyway!</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Either way, it won't hurt and it might help.</p>
<p>What kind of college is she applying to? What other characteristics will appear in her application?</p>
<p>Thanks for all the insight. She winds up with a 1200(1600) when she uses the highest math and verbal. Elon is her only reach school. She still has a 3.8 and top 10%, so she probably still has a shot. The other schools on her list are good matches and safties. She isn't really interested in any super reach schools. Right now she has no interest in taking a class but that could change. School just ended and she needs some down time. Taking it again without a class seems like a waste.</p>
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Taking it again without a class seems like a waste.
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<p>Nope, taking it again without adequate preparation would be a waste. Adequate preparation can take many forms, but one of the LEAST recommended forms of preparation is a generic test prep class a la Princeton and Kaplan. Having taken the test twice, your daughter IS familiar with the test organization ans scope. The organized classes sole benefitsare the introduction to the format and a couple of forced practice sessions. You can do a LOT better for several hundred dollars! Pick up a few guide books, sign for the online TCB course, and then spend your money with a private tutor to overcome any lagging deficiencies. </p>
<p>In the end, there is NO substitute for practice, and there is no reason why practices need to cost anything.</p>
<p>My D's score from her first SAT were better than her second by almost 100 pts. If the better scores are in the range she needs, don't bother taking them again. She might want to try the ACT, though. (Strangely, my D's first sitting on the ACT was her best as well. I think the stress of senior year accounted for some of it--the first attempts were as a junior.)</p>
<p>What does it mean when you say a college "superscores?"</p>
<p>It means they take the best sub-score from each test date and combine them</p>
<p>His CR went down 80 points from the PSAT; and well down from the two times he took the SSAT! He is just so upset, he just can't figure it out. He even took a course after the PSAT, I think that he is a naturally good test taker, and the course taught him test taking strategies, could it have messed him up??</p>
<p>Sorry to hijack, but we do have the same problem.</p>
<p>Candace, I just checked and your daughter's scores are well within range for Elon --- not great, but probably close to their median. So she should be o.k. for college admissions. I think she might want to try the ACT and see if she fares better -- my daughter had scores similar to yours (580 math, 620 CR) but did slightly better with a 28 on the ACT (which equates to about 1240-1270) -- so she used her ACT scores with her apps. She was aiming high and succeeded (for reasons other than her test score) -- and was accepted at some pretty high end schools -- so test scores aren't everything.</p>
<p>If I regret anything in hindsight it is that I put too much stress on her over test scores -- they turned out to not be nearly as important as I thought.</p>
<p>thanks Calmom, I am hoping that her top 10% and 3.8 will be enough. If she loved Elon, I would let her apply ED. We will be visiting next month. As I said earlier, the rest of her schools are matches, so I am not too concerned. I know she will find the "right fit".</p>
<p>What is "online TCB course"?</p>