Hi, my junior took the SAT 3 times. 770 English high score and 760 Math high score. His math went from 680 to 760, 760 again. His English started at 770 then went down to 710 then 720. He hasn’t looked at it since December and is just focusing on his school work and EC’s. Should he bother to take it again or will it not make much of a difference to go up a little? Thanks
It’s really not worth the effort to try and move it by 10-20 points. And based on the set of scores you mentioned, might even move down.
1530 is a great score and the difference between that and a 1540 or 1550 isn’t really going to move the needle on an admission decision. Course rigor and grades are more important. As are ECs. So let him focus on those things instead.
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I agree. The only reason I would possibly consider retaking in attempt to get a 1550 if there was a merit aid table that needed a 1550 score for a higher level of merit, and it was a university that your junior really likes and is interested in. Otherwise, I’d keep the excellent SAT score as is.
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Agree with above. I wouldn’t have him retake unless he can get 1550 or above for merit reasons.
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So he got 1450, 1470 and 1480? Do all the schools he’s looking at super score? If not, he might want to attempt again.
Michigan State University does not super score, for example, and a composite score above 1500 garners a significant merit award.
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It’s probably not worth re-taking the test again. His time would be better spent on keeping his grades up and any ECs he is interested in. With his excellent score he can focus on his essays and other college planning this summer.
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Also want to note that the margin of error for SAT scores is (if my memory serves me correctly) 20. That means two scores that are 20 points apart are considered essentially the same. It also means that if you take two tests and perform equally well in both, your score can differ by up to 20 (unless of course you score perfectly both times).
All in all - barring the points mentioned above regarding merit scholarship thresholds - not worth retaking.
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@colonelmike64 may have some insight. He interviews for a T10 or T20 school and seems to be very familiar with scores.
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My kid retook the SAT a second time with very minimal score change. Kid wondered if a third try was worth it. We said…no.
Your kid has already taken this test three times. His score is fine for many many schools.
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No! Your son can check the SAT box off his list. Many congrats to him. Go tell him to have some fun. (Sorry, I’m seeing the burnout my senior son is facing. So much pressure on kids these days).
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i agree with Amom2022. if he’s looking for automatic merit, some schools might give a little more with a higher score, or give a small extra nugget with a very high score. You’d have to check to see if those schools superscore. If those schools aren’t on your radar, then it probably doesnt matter.
nice score though.
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Depends upon the schools to which your son is applying and, to a lesser extent, his preferred area of study. With a 760 & 770 , he should be fine for schools which superscore.
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No. As others have already pointed out, there may be a very specific merit award he’s just missing but I don’t think those are worth chasing. Scores rarely go up on the 4th take and I don’t see anything in your son’s scoring arc to suggest he’s got room to run. He’d basically be hoping to get 2 wrong on math instead of 3 or to test during one of the softer curve dates, and this is after not testing for 3 months.
He’s done very well and the marginal admission difference between a 1530 and a 1550 is negligible. 1530 is approaching the 75th accepted percentile at almost every school, already. He’s checked the box for “high standardized test score”. He should be focused on his ECs and trying to enjoy what’s left of his time in high school, now that he finally has a post-pandemic high school life to enjoy.
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Only if the target schools superscore, otherwise the single sitting scores are 1450, 1470, & 1480.
I would not waste another minute of time on the SAT based on the scores he already has.
He can shift his focus to lining up fantastic letters of recommendation and even start early thinking about his essays. Using the same time that would have otherwise been burned retaking the test.
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I believe UW-Madison is the only T50 that does not superscore… and a 1480 would place him well above the 75th percentile, there. Superscores don’t matter for admissions in this score range. They might matter for merit since some publics still use single sitting scores.
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I thought Georgetown didn’t superscore either? Or they want all test scores reported. Not sure what the diff is.
Anyways, perhaps for the scholarships and the schools with a big emphasis on math (e.g., MIT or CalTech), I don’t see any reason to re-take. Instead, congratulate DS for a fantastic job!
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Both.
“Georgetown does not subscribe to the College Board’s Score Choice program, in that we do require applicants who have been out of high school five or fewer years to submit standardized testing if they have taken these exams. If an applicant takes the SAT more than once, the admissions committees will consider the highest Critical Reading score and the highest Math score from multiple test sessions when reviewing the application.”
Hmmmm…so they do “informally” superscore but still want to see all scores?
Thanks for this quote. I wasn’t even aware there was something called “Score Choice”!
OP, please don’t. I wanted my kid to take it for the fourth time (they, too, had gone up 20-30 points each time), but they refused. Turns out their intuition was better than mine and has had just fine results so far.