I took the SAT in December my junior year and scored really low about 1750 and then retook it in January and got a 1960...and then again in June, but I had a massive headache and got dizzy during the test so I couldn't read the readings section and I ended up getting an 1840. But after taking AP lang and studying A LOT over the summer, I am estimated at about a 2200 on the SAT in October. Will taking the SAT four times hurt my chances of getting in even though I improved by a lot?
PS. I did not take any score improvement classes, its all self studying and books
On the College Board's website, Jeffrey Brenzel is quoted as saying that your transcript is the most important part of your file -- NOT your testing.
He also goes on to say "The testing can give you a sense of what schools are within your range, and it gives the school a sense of what students in the applicant pool are within their range."
Given that your first three SAT scores are not within Yale's range, what is your GPA and approximate class ranking?
While Yale puts lower emphasis on test scores, SAT/AP/IB results are still important in the admission process. Unless you have extraordinary other credentials, I do not believe your chance is good.
Also, I have heard MANY times someone claiming his/her SAT would be dramatically improved because of A/B/C. I have rarely seen any actual significant improvement.
At the Yale info session the adcomm member said they do not like people who take test repeatedly. But, go for it as a dream school. Just have lots of alternatives.
Since you feel that the highest score you've achieved does NOT put you in range for Yale, you have nothing to lose by taking the test again. Why don't you get a practice test and take it on a Saturday, timed? Then score it and see where that puts you. If you get past 2,000, retake the test.
Most of the time, an applicant's test scores align with their GPA. For example, someone who has a 94 to 98 average at a competitive high school will usually score 2100 to 2400 on their SAT.
As the OP has not been able to do so in three tries, something is wrong.
That's what an Admissions Director will wonder when looking at his or her test record.
What about the opposite? Is there any harm in only taking the SAT once? (S is NM semi finalist) He just thought he wouldn't improve much and he was happy enough with his scores, though they are not super-duper!
^^ No, there's absolutely no harm whatsoever -- and BTW, that's the way it should be!
Students who take the SAT multiple times are either: (1) Desperately trying to make a better score (even by 50 points), in the belief that a higher score will give them some sort of leg-up in the admissions process. Unfortunately, admissions to top college its not a meritocracy -- better scores do not nessassarily equate with getting the fat envelope. Or (2) like the OP, they are trying to obtain a score that would get them into a college's specific range.
If your son is a NM semi-finalist and is happy with his score, then let it go. There are more imortant parts of the application for him to concentrate on -- specifically the essays!
well annotate it also depends on the score... if it's sort of low for yale then yeah that will probably hurt but if it's pretty good for yale then it'd obviously be fine
Well, lets put it this way. If you submit the scores you have now (1960 being the highest), you have almost no chance of getting in (probably <1%) unless your have some sort of unusual hook. However, if you do take the test and manage to score 2200+, your chances WILL increase because you will be in the 25-75 percentile of Yale's admission pool. However, only YOU can judge how well you can potentially do. Do you honestly think you can score that high? If so, take it.
Thanks for the advice everyone! I have been taking numerous practice tests and have scored above a 2100 on all of them. I will give it a try. I am in the top 3% of my class #4 or 5 and have a weighted GPA 4.1, and I have really good extracurricular and am an International student. Right now Yale is my dream school but I do have safeties like Boston University and Texas A&M. I think I will re-take the SAT again for sure and then if I don't score High will most likely take the ACT again because international students are known to score high. I asked my dad who is a college professor and he said that it wont matter that I took it 4 times because I show improvement and that like I worked hard to get my score high. Taking the SAT as an international is very hard as it is a very american test.
I have been taking numerous practice tests and have scored above a 2100 on all of them. I will give it a try. I am in the top 3% of my class #4 or 5 and have a weighted GPA 4.1, and I have really good extracurricular and am an International student. Right now Yale is my dream school but I do have safeties like Boston University and Texas A&M. I think I will re-take the SAT again for sure and then if I don't score High will most likely take the ACT again because international students are known to score high. I asked my dad who is a college professor and he said that it wont matter that I took it 4 times because I show improvement and that like I worked hard to get my score high. Taking the SAT as an international is very hard as it is a very american test.
