<p>I've heard that HYPS and other top colleges all superscore. While this is definitely a good thing for students to hear, do colleges actually think of the SAT score as a superscore or do they look into what is your highest? As kind of a mentality thing?</p>
<p>For example, if I got a 2080 and then I got a 2100 a second time but my super score was technically 2320, what would they see it as? I mean, obviously, if they superscore, they write down the 2320..I suppose...but does this make a difference when someone scores a 2320 straight? Will they see my score as a 2100....but technically as a 2320.....?</p>
<p>A similar question: how do they look at it? I scored very highly on the SAT on the first try. My friend got a similar score after taking it two or three times. I know they say that they only take the top score, but (and this obviously is to my benefit) I don't think that they completely ignore the number of times one takes it. Could someone shed light on this?</p>
<p>I disagree with you Baelor, congrats on getting a great score the first time but because of so many factors (like being sick, nervous, not having practice tests) a person may not score as high on one as another. On the otherhand, what is to say that the person who scores high hasn't already had paid prep or just had a great day.... so though I think it saves those who score high on their first test- time and money - I don't think a reasonable number of attempts makes a difference. The admins can't see beyond the numbers so they developed a system that helps them view everyone on the most fair stage that they could. Just my opinion though. I also don't think more than 3 times from sophomore year on is wise unless there are circumstances that merit it.</p>
<p>Colleges have given up trying to distinguish one-time test-takers from two-time or three-time or even four-time test-takers, because that wasn't useful information to the colleges. There are a number of reasons for that. </p>
<p>1) The colleges have utterly no way of knowing who spends all his free time practicing taking standardized tests and who takes them "cold." </p>
<p>2) The colleges are well aware that students who have actually taken the tests sometimes cancel scores, so they have little incentive to give students bonus consideration if the students submit only one test score. </p>
<p>3) The colleges are aware that students who take the admission tests at middle-school age, who are numerous, do not have their earlier test scores submitted by default. </p>
<p>5) Colleges are in the business of helping students learn, and they don't mind students taking efforts to improve their scores. They know that students prepare for tests. </p>
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<p>These arguments make sense to Mr. Fitzsimmons [dean of admission at Harvard], who said, “People are going to prepare anyway, so they might as well study chemistry or biology.” He added that “the idea of putting more emphasis on the subject tests is of great interest” to his group.