Hey, so I just got my June score, and unfortunately it’s not up to my expectations.
Do colleges care about how many SAT’s you take? If I take it again in October, I would have taken 5. Does that look bad?
My first two attempts were in May and June of my Sophomore year, and I scored less than or equal to 1800
My third attempt I scored a 2010, and my fourth a 2070 (Math really screwed me over at 680, usually my strongest at 780-800). It’s still not the desired 1400 (not counting superscore).
Anyways, will colleges look down on me because I took it so many times?
Yes and no. Some colleges, like Harvard, princeton, and MIT, think that taking it too many times shows an obsession with a minute part of your application, and that you’re overvaluing it. It shows that you have nothing better to do with your time
However, if you’re more interested in mid-range schools, they generally don’t care at all. If you get the score, you get in. Same with automatic scholarships.
It all depends on where you’re looking.
Also, consider an effect that that your scores will plateau. Retaking the test mainly only helps with knowing the test and how to deal with the crazy stuff. Since you’ve taken it 4 times, you know the directions and tricks really well. You won’t know them any better. It’s likely that your score won’t improve significantly, and this has been observed.
If you think your score will improve significantly, and youre applying for places that both highly value the SAT and also have automatic benefits for particular scores, then retake it. If, however, you’ve spent hundreds of hours studying and you plan applying to schools in the Ivy League or of similar caliber with a HOLISTIC admissions process, then don’t retake it. Do some research into the specific schools.
Also, plot your scores on a graph. Notice any trends, particularly if it looks logarithmic I’d suggest stopping
@BEDAJO Thanks for the advice! I am applying to a couple competitive colleges, but for the most part, I am looking at schools like Alabama that offer automatic merit scholarships. I messed up on the June SAT Math section, so I’m hoping to improve that, and I’ll meet all the requirements and more if my CR and Writing stay the same. Thanks again!