<p>I just have a few SAT questions to ask. Answer as many or as few as you'd like! Thanks! :)</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Why do colleges frown upon taking the SAT or ACT more than 3 times?</p></li>
<li><p>Just making sure - you can add up your best scores from each section and that can be your total score? </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Ex: 1st time you took SAT - Math: 610, CR: 670, Writing: 690 (total: 1970)
2nd time you took SAT - Math: 650, CR: 640, Writing: 700 (total: 1990)
So, you take the Math 650, CR 670, and Writing 700 and then make that the score that you would submit to college? (Since those are the highest of each)</p>
<p>I think taking the SAT or ACT several times would make you look obsessed with your scores, especially if you have 2200+ in the SAT.</p>
<p>Some colleges do superscore, though I am not sure whether more do than don't or vice versa. And you can't "make" a score the one you will submit to colleges, because they will see all your scores. So it depends on whether the college superscores or takes your highest sitting, etc. Unless of course, you're a junior and have that score option thing. Even then, you probably can only choose a particular test sitting to submit, and colleges still can opt out from this score option scheme.</p>
<p>Nearly all schools superscore so that they can report higher SAT Scores to the USNews rankings. (UC schools are the only ones I know for sure that doesn't superscore.) Under the old rules you didn't choose what to send, the colleges got them all. Under the new rules, I believe you'll be able to choose which sitting to send, but not invidual sections. Personally, with your example, I'd send them both.</p>
<p>Colleges say they don't care how many times you take the SAT, they say they've found the returns are minimal after a while and I heard one ad com (from Yale) say that they might (and I emphasize might) wonder why you didn't have better ways to spend your Saturday mornings if they saw more than three or four. With score choice of course you'll be able to supress low scores, though you should be aware that some colleges have said they want to see all the scores anyway.</p>
<p>The "superscore" policy varies widely, even within institutions. Texas A&M wanted all scores from one sitting. However, several years ago, their honors dept took highest from each section.</p>
<p>Here's a thought.......
If you are concerned about taking it too many times.....,this is what my son did. He took each twice, improved nicely. When he took it a third time, he only had it sent to a school he really did not want to attend. Why? If his scores went up, he would go ahead and send to his top choice schools. You don't have to send the scores every time you take test. Upon receiving results to his liking, he sent them on to his top choice schools.</p>