Since Princeton superstores its SAT, a lot of applicants take the test many times. Is there any advantage to doing it just once, assuming your score is strong enough? Obviously getting 1600 on your first try is ideal, but what if you achieved a 1560 or a 1530… I guess my question is: where is the cutoff where an applicant could feel comfortable with “one and done” on the new SAT & concentrate on other aspects of the application?
Atleast on the old SAT, I think 2250+ would be the score where you could feel comfortable. I guess on the new SAT that would translate roughly to a 1530?
The thing is, at 1500, there’s no possibly way for you to get lower than a 700 on either section. So the worst you can do on the test, potentially, would be 700 on one section and 800 on the other; the ‘best’/average you could do is 750 on both. No matter what, your score will still be competitive. I don’t think getting a 1500 on the SAT will keep you out of a top school; if you don’t get in, it has to do with the other 90% of your application.
Yes. It frees up your time to work on your essays, invest in your EC’s, or simply just relax. As to what the magic number is, I don’t know; I think that’s a personal choice. Certainly a 1560 will not be why an application was rejected.