Hi! I’m a high school rising senior. I took the SAT for the first time in March 2020. Then I took it again in August 2020. In both cases, I didn’t get the score I wanted. (I was aiming for 1500+ and even though August results didn’t come out, I know I will not be able to get my desired score). Normally on my practice tests I used to achieve a 1500+, but things went bad on August test so I couldn’t do well. I know that if I take it again it again I will be able to getmy desired score. But I’m scared taking the SAT three times might hurt my admissions. Especially because I will apply for financial aid. It would be confusing for colleges to see a student struggling financially to pay for the tests too many times (although my family struggles financially, they are able to find money for the tests somehow). I will also take the ACT on October, but I really want to get my desired score on SAT. Should I take it again for the 3rd time?
Only a handful of schools require you to submit all test scores. You can send your best score, or your best two if your best is a super score.
And if your family is struggling financially, ask your guidance counselor to help you apply for a fee waiver.
The school that I am going to apply to requires me to send all of my scores, that’s why I’m concerned. Also because I’m an international student I can’t geet a fee waiver 
I would consider taking it again. Our D21 is also an international student. She had never taken a standardised test like the SAT, so the format was entirely new to her. Math is taught very differently in our country than in the US. She did a lot of practice tests and focused on a few areas to improve, which made a big difference in her test score.
Also, if you’re an international student you are probably unlikely to be taking a space away from a student who has been unable to take the test. In our country, the SAT is only offered four times per year - March, May, October and December. So far, only the May test was cancelled with plenty of open spaces on the other dates.
How in the world being able to pay another $75 for the test would shows an FA officer that you are well-off? It’s not even a rounding error in the cost of attendance.
But I have a feeling that you are already pretty close to 1,500. If I’m correct, I can only repeat what the sages of the forum have said here many times - 30-40 points won’t make a difference, don’t waste your energy, focus on other aspects of your application.
Do you mean you took the tests in 2019? The August SAT was yesterday. Please clarify and tell us what scores you got so that we know if 1500 is realistic.
^ OP said: “even though August results didn’t come out, I know I will not be able to get my desired score”
I’m pretty sure three won’t raise any alarms - it’s not that abnormal. Even four probably isn’t a big deal. Five is where I think an admissions officer may start noticing.
Try taking the ACT (earlier than October if possible) and compare your scores on both before deciding to retake. IMO, the ACT is better for students who like reading while the SAT is more math-focused.
The other advantage of the ACT is that even if a college doesn’t allow score-choice for the SAT (like the UCs,) you can delete ACT test scores (as long as you, NOT your school district, paid for it,) meaning you don’t have to report them because you CAN’T report scores that don’t exist.
Are you applying Early Action or Early Decision anywhere? To the Questbridge or Posse Scholar programs? If so, there are deadlines by which you NEED to take the test in-order for scores to reach the admissions office in time, and this information can be found on most colleges’ admissions website, or by contacting them.
Hope that helps! Good luck with admissions!
What happened when you did take the SAT test?
If you have prepared, then you should have had a pretty good sense regarding what sorts of questions you were expecting. If you have been getting 1500+ on practice tests, then you must be capable of answering most of the questions.
Did you get nervous, run out of time, or did something else happen?
By the way, occasionally students do better than they think that they did. Many decades ago I messed up big time on the Chemistry SAT test and ended up with an 800. I still do not quite know what happened, other than there must have been a lot of questions on the end that didn’t count (I messed up time management and didn’t finish). You too might end up with a better score than you expect.
What scores did you get?
Well, I think there is a bit of luck involved. To be honest, I’m not really good at the history passages, they are the hardest ones for me. On the Saturday’s test I couldn’t understand the history passage in my initial read, then I got nervous, and combined with the exam stress I pretty much messed up that passage. And then I lost my confidence and so messed up in writing as well. None of this happened in a practice test before, I think it’s because of the real exam atmosphere. Thankfully, I am expecting a 800 from math. I WILL take the October test and so at least I will have a chance to superscore.
I certainly don’t recommend this for a Senior already down the SAT learning curve, with only a few months left before final application due dates, in an environment where test dates are regularly being cancelled.