Should I Retake the SAT?

I took the October 1 test (my first time taking the SAT, I’m a junior) and got a 1550 (breakdown - 790 reading, 760 math) with a 24 on the essay. I’m very interested in schools like Carnegie Mellon SCS, MIT, etc. Would it be worth it to retake or is this score good enough? Should I be worried by the math 760?

You’re currently worried about your 99th percentile score. I get that you didn’t hit 1600 – but do you think any school will reject you as academically ill-suited? If they do reject you, it’ll be for other factors.

At a certain point, your SAT score doesn’t matter. It is one of the first things admissions officers look at, and it helps them know that you are academically qualified to go to their school (along with your GPA, of course). If you had gotten a 1490, then retaking it would have been in your best interest. However, due to the margin of error that inevitably comes with taking a different test, you might get a 1580 your next time around. You might get a 1520.

In short: Retaking it will not help you or hurt you in your applications at this score level. Your time would be better spent on extracurriculars or getting a head start on your essays.

Do not retake; it’s a great score. One and done is a great outcome.

The schools that interest you will probably want SAT subject tests as well. You can impress them by scoring high on Math II.