<p>I am registered to take the SAT December 7th. I was planning to make it just a "practice test" so I could be better prepared for when I actually try my best in March/May. But I just found out some colleges CONSIDER YOUR FIRST SAT SCORE. I always thought they only saw your best score so I was not worried about doing bad the first time. I am probably going to get around 1700 on this one because I have barely studied and then I was planning to do good on the one in May (above 2000). My goal is to get into a top ranked University so it really matters how I do. But this new information has made me regret signing up, so should I cancel or still take it?</p>
<p>Can I get some recommendations on what I should do?</p>
<p>I would go ahead and take it. Studying and practice probably won’t affect your score as much as you think. And actually taking the test is probably the hardest part you can practice. Improving your score certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing. Plus colleges only really put emphasis on your highest score.</p>
<p>First i would not send the score anywhere but it may appear on your high school transcript. The advice we were given was to only send your best score after you know all of your scores. In other words don’t send any with the tests unless you have to for some other reason.</p>
<p>Plus a practice run is the best preparation. Then you know what to expect what to study etc. for next time. Good luck.</p>
<p>I was in the same situation as you last year. Took it in Jan. for the first time and got a 1980. Then took it twice more for a 2320 superscore (with none of the score being from the first time I took it)</p>
<p>For most colleges, you don’t have to send all your scores, so it doesn’t matter. And for the ones that you do have to send it, it “shouldn’t” make too much a difference. You can’t get a high score off a fluke. You must know your stuff to get a high score. But you can get a low score if any number of things go wrong. How do the colleges know you didn’t just bubble a section wrong, or maybe you were feeling really sick.</p>
<p>I say take it.</p>
<p>Colleges know that for any various reasons you could just be having a bad day. You paid for it, take it. </p>
<p>Seriously, if a college looks at three SAT scores for one person, and superscores you, why would they worry about what your low scores are? What if this weekend’s exam is “easy”?</p>