Should I Retake the SAT/ Is taking the SAT once bad?

Test Preparation
1

Hi guys!

Here’s the background: Recently, I took the SAT for the first time and scored a 1540 (790-math and 750-reading & writing). For the most part, all of the questions I got wrong were ranked as difficult, but I got one easy question wrong on math because I bubbled in the wrong answer but circled the right one haha. I’m not 100% sure if I could do significantly better, but maybe I could superscore if I get an 800 on math if I take the SAT again.
Right now, my top three schools are Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Brown (PLME). I’ve heard a lot of people say that you should score a 1560-1600 to be safe pretty much anywhere, or above the 75th percentile at whatever school you want to go to. My score is only a tiny bit above the 75th percentile at UC Berkeley and Stanford and below the 75th percentile at Brown.
I’m currently taking 5 AP classes and am anticipating to complete 13 by the end of my senior year. I do extracurriculars like orchestra honor ensembles, HOSA, and DECA, and have leadership positions.

Considering all of this, I was wondering, should I retake the SAT? Considering everything else, how much do stats really matter? The thing is, I’m not sure if it looks bad that I only took the SAT once or if it looks worse if I take it twice and do worse the second time. Sorry this was kind of a dump, but if anyone has any insight or opinions, it would be much appreciated! :slight_smile: Thanks guys!

2

You heard wrong. There is absolutely no score that will make you “safe.”

With score choice, they would not see the lower attempt unless you superscored.

It’s pointless to retake to improve a 790. If you can improve the 750, maybe you want to retake, but even then, I’m not sure it’s worth the time and effort. Scores, while importnat,are just one part of the equation.

3

My daughter also recently took the SAT for the first time and scored a 1570 (790 Math, 780 Reading/writing). Like you, she really was hoping for an 800 but made a careless mistake. She wants to retake but I don’t think it is worth it.

4

Retaking the 1570 would only be for personal satisfaction (says the parent, with a M800, of a daughter with a M790 - she certainly wants to retake it). I don’t think there’s really any downside unless she’s expecting to invest a lot of time in it or the cost is an issue.

No score will be “safe”, but I suspect you meant the point at which the scores are high enough over the bar that there’s really no difference. I’ve used 1550 for this point in the past. Taking the test again and improving might help a tiny bit - not much, and every bit helps, but you could also spend that time on other activities. If you think you can improve your score, based on practice tests and other data, taking it again might make sense. But don’t expect a big impact.

“Only” taking it once will not “look bad”. I only took it once.

5

750/750 will get you over the bar. Good enough. Then, they look at the rest of your app. That’s where th pedal hits the metal- or not.

I have to wonder if OP understands how Stanford reviews, what they look for. It’s not SAT perfection. You get past the bar and the hard part starts.

Not to mention that, OP notes only the quantity of AP, as if that’s a bump. But it’s not: “He with the most AP wins.” And there is a point of AP saturation, after which they may wonder, especially, when the list is stuffed with the easy AP.

Core AP matter more than count, LoRs matter more than an extra 10+ points. ECs can define your energies, impact, and more.

When you see a tippy top with a 75th percentile for matriculants close to 800, that’s a result of the final cherry picking, kids with not just stats superiority, but the whole picture a tippy top wants.

So Princeton, eg, shows this:
SAT Scores % 1500-1600
Accepted 8.2%

Means 90+% rejected.

Stanford no longer breaks it down this way, but has a similar pattern. S, Brown, and Dartmouth have reported admit details in the past. All similar.

And UCB is holistic, too. PLME will demand health environment experiences and more.

You’ve got to dig in and learn what all matters.