<p>so, i have severe testing anxiety (clinically diagnosed with anxiety). whenever i take the SAT, there tends to be a section where i'll have a panic attack. for example, when i took the ACT in december, in the reading section, the text went blurry, the room started spinning, and i wasn't able to absorb ANY information i was reading (the same thing kinda happened on the march SAT and i got a 650 on math...). </p>
<p>So, across 2 sittings, i have a 2230 superscore, but I have taken the test 3 times. I signed up for the october sat right before the EA deadline because i've been working on calming my anxiety. i really want to get math and reading to a 750+. i know people say your score won't increase after 3 attempts, but i really think for me it's different.</p>
<p>there's also the argument that you could be doing other things instead of studying for the SAT, but i'm VERY active in my community (founder of a nonprofit, work with others) and am really into art (have been exhibited). i also have a really good common app essay/recs. </p>
<p>so do you think taking the SAT 4 times will look terribly, with this info in mind? i'm planning on using score choice but my friend said they can still see how many times you take the test.</p>
<p>I have problems taking standardized tests too. Sometimes I blank, sometimes I zone out and my brain clicks off. I will be taking the October SAT too, for the second time. My current score is only a 2000 (CR:750, M:630, W:620). I’m applying early to Princeton, not Harvard, but it’s the same kind of thing.</p>
<p>I think you’ll be fine because your anxiety is clinically diagnosed. If you’re worried, there’s always that additional information section on the common app.</p>
<p>I think you are stressing over this way too much- you have a 2230 superscored? There is little to gain by taking it again just to try for another 100 or so points. Have fun with other things in life, no need to be a career test taker.</p>
<p>Schools can not see how many times you took the test, unless somehow the test scores appear on your transcript. You can use score choice, and even for schools that do not accept score choice, I don’t think there is any was they can really know how many times you took the test. In the end , though, you have to also weigh the fact that if a school finds out that you lied about how many times you took the test, you could face severe consequences.</p>
<p>@psychodad it’s mainly because of my math score. but if i use score choice (which harvard completely allows), how is that bad? i don’t think they’d consider it badly or treat it like lying. many applicants use score choice if they didn’t do so well on one particular test.</p>
<p>if, however, you used score choice when sending scores to a school like upenn, then yeah that would be terrible/lying because they don’t allow score choice</p>
<p>Yes- Harvard allows score choice, and you certainly should use it if its to your advantage. I just don’t think that there is much to be gained by trying to improve an already phenomenal SAT score that most people would only dream of. I believe that somewhere in these threads you will find a quote by William Fitzsimmons at Harvard that there isn’t that much difference in chances in getting in with your score vs. 2300. The choice to retake is an individual one, and I respect your desire to consider another shot at the test. Just remember that the most competitive schools really look at other factors for admission- test scores are just one piece if the puzzle.</p>
<p>One last point is that many of the competitive schools require 2 SAT subject test scores if you are submitting the SAT- Harvard and a few schools require subject test scores even if the ACT is submitted. If you haven’t sat for subject test, you may need to pay attention to them. Good luck.</p>
<p>In addition, please note the relative low-order of importance that Harvard places on the ACT/SAT:</p>
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<p>IMHO: With a super-score of 2230, you would be better off spending the next few months writing, re-writing, and editing your essays rather than taking the SAT again.</p>
<p>Full Disclosure: My daughter is a rising senior at Harvard and was accepted with an SAT score of 2230 and an ACT score of 34.</p>
<p>Your score is great, at the moment I would recommend taking time to flush out your ECs more(doing something particularly extraordinary with them). Remember that people with 4.0 GPAs and perfect test scores still don’t get in. All in all, you don’t need to take the test again.</p>
<p>thanks everyone! i already signed up for it so i might as well just give it one last shot, but it’s definitely not taking priority over ECs and essays.</p>
<p>also, @gibby, i called harvard about a question that i asked you (superscoring vs. single date). the officer stated with conviction that superscoring is viewed EXACTLY the same as a score achieved on a single date. she also said that the writing is viewed just like the math/reading.</p>
<p>If you feel that standardized testing could be a strong part of your college application, why not max it out? Score as high as possible on it. Go for a 2300+ score.</p>
<p>I’ve known many students over the years who increased their SAT scores after taking the test more than 3 times. Good luck!</p>
<p>More importantly…
You didn’t mention how you were dealing with your “clinically diagnosed anxiety” and whether the anxiety was specific to test-taking or if it manifested in other situations as well. If I were you, I would try to address the issue prior to college matriculation. That could be a major challenge for you since there are many tests in your future.</p>
<p>i’ve been dealing with it but i just dont want to put how on here, you know? but i will say that it’s manifested itself in many parts of my life. it only seems to happen on standardized tests though; with regular school tests (even AP ones) i’m just fine. but yeah it’s definitely gotten much better, that’s why i want to retake</p>