Should I take the SATs 4 times? Hear my story :)

Test Preparation
1

<p>Hey everyone!!
OK so below are my SAT scores for the past three sittings:</p>

<p>1) M: 730 CR: 620 W: 520 Essay: 9
2) M: 680 CR: 620 W: 680 Essay: 12
3) M: 690 CR: 670 W: 700 Essay: 11</p>

<p>Superscore M: 730 CR: 670 W: 700
= 2100</p>

<p>Should I take it for the additonal 4th time? I am considering because for the past 3 times, I didn't have time to study for the SATs as the course load @ my school is extremely demanding. I know I have no excuses for failing so miserably, but I would love a 4th chance at this. And hopefully I can raise my score to at least 2200
I think I can drastically increase my maths score to a 800. I stopped taking maths (I finished IB Maths a year early) in my Junior Year.. that's why is slipped down so horribly. I think with more practice, I can reach the 800 mark.
I can also bring up my critical reading score by memorising more vocabs and religiously practicing passages.</p>

<p>What do you think? I really want to apply to most of the ivies/competitive colleges. Do you think taking the SATs 4 times will hinder my chances? Do you think it to be wise to take it 4 times?</p>

<p>Thank you so much!!</p>

2

<p>*it
oops typos :slight_smile: hehe</p>

3

<p>While colleges may say that they super-score and do not care how many times you take the SATs, it is probably the case that in reality an admissions officer looks at a large number of attempts and forms opinions on the basis of trends and what they might mean. You dropped from a 730 in math the first time you took the test which is a competetive score for the top schools but than dropped to a 680 on your second attempt which is good but not good enough for the Ivy Leauges. Your third attempt yielded essentially the same score in Math as your second test. You may be confident that you can get an 800 in Math if you had one more crack at it but you have to keep in mind if get another score in the 600s, even if they officially superscore, in the back of his or her mind the admissions officer is going to start thinking that 730 was a fluke.</p>

<p>In three attempts you have only increased your CR score by 50 points and are still 30 points away from the 700 you would need to impress the top schools. CR scores are very hard to increase significantly no matter how hard you prepare for them. Being able to read and understand a written passage and then answer questions about it is a skill that is acquired over years, not months.</p>

<p>You did have a solid increase in Writing between your first and second attempts but your third Sat showed only a small increase in Writing and may indicate you are reaching the limit of what you can achieve in Writing.</p>

<p>Most students take the SAT once in their Junior year and some take it once more as a Senior. Taking it four times is a lot and I think you have to be realistic and honest with yourself about how much better you will likely do if you take it again. If you do not get significantly higher scores it could likely raise some eyebrows in the admissions offices of the schools you are applying to even if they do super-score.</p>

4

<p>I’d say that if you prepare for it, and think you can increase your score by a good amount (80-100pts) then I think you should go for it.</p>

5

<p>Most of the top colleges besides Stanford, Yale, Cornell, Upenn, and Columbia accept score choice, so you really have nothing much to lose.</p>

6

<p>I would say don’t take it again. My rule is that if you can’t get the score in 3 times, you call it a quit. Did you consider the ACT?</p>

7

<p>ACT… Hmm that is definitely an option. But considering that I am a senior and will graduate in less than 4 months ( I live in the southern hemisphere, so school finishes in november for us) I really don’t see the necessity of adapting to a completely new testing system.</p>

<p>Say if I don’t take the SATs again… do you guys think a 2100 will give me a decent chance at some of the most selective colleges/universities? (E.g Johns Hopkins, Ivies)</p>

<p>I really don’t want to take it again, but I guess I might have to out of pure desperation.</p>

8

<p>Score Choice usually allows you to sumbit your best scores :smiley: read more about it, see if the colleges you want to apply to accept score choice, and if you think you can do it, go for it :smiley: ! Im giving my second try soon.</p>

9

<p><a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat-score-use-practices-list.pdf[/url]”>http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat-score-use-practices-list.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Penn, Yale, Cornell, Columbia, Stanford, and Georgetown don’t accept score choice.</p>

<p>Duke, Harvard, Princeton, and Brown, however, do accept score choice.</p>

<p>4 SATs look pretty bad.</p>

<p>[Penn</a> Admissions: Required Tests](<a href=“http://www.admissionsug.upenn.edu/applying/testing.php]Penn”>http://www.admissionsug.upenn.edu/applying/testing.php)</p>

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10

<p>Thank you guys!!
I don’t think I’ll take it for the 4th time :slight_smile: I think I might have, as Lemaitre1 pointed out, reached my um SAT limit. Thanks bsmd,I think I will actually sit the ACTs. :slight_smile: I figured it will be a nice addition to my application if I score above 32?</p>

<p>Thanks Brownman I’m really glad you told me that because UPenn is one of my top choice schools :)</p>