Taking a gap year, is retaking SAT necessary?

Test Preparation
1

<p>I graduated high school with about a 3.5 gpa, and an SAT score of 1930 (I only took it once).</p>

<p>I ended up taking a gap year for financial reasons, I’m working and getting my own place and such. Next year I plan on reapplying for school, my primary is a State school in california, with Georgia State as a back-up, in case I decide to stay in-state. (I know I can get into better schools, but its cheap and rather safe admission wise, I think.)</p>

<p>Now, my plan was just to apply without doing anything school related over the gap year, but my mom is saying that I’ll have to retake my SAT for some reason… to keep it current I guess.</p>

<p>Is there any truth to this?</p>

<p>Also (this isn’t SAT related but I might as well ask) she insists that just working is bad and that I should volunteer somewhere to boost my app. I’m pretty confident that, for a state school, none of this is necessary at all, but I just want to be sure.</p>

2

<p>Volunteering won’t hurt… And neither will breaking 2000 on the SAT. You’ve had a whole year to do whatever, so be willing to put a little effort into preparing for college. But with that said, yes, you’re fine for GSU.</p>

3

<p>You don’t have to take the SAT again unless you want to try to raise it. If you took a gap year for financial reasons how will you pay California OOS rates? </p>

<p>Working is considered an EC. It will not be held against you, and most public Us only “consider” ECs (see section C7 of <a href=“http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwire/pdf/CDS/2011/C.%20First%20time%20first%20year%20admission.pdf[/url]”>http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwire/pdf/CDS/2011/C.%20First%20time%20first%20year%20admission.pdf&lt;/a&gt; for an example).</p>

4

<p>College Board has a statement that it adds to any SAT test that is more than five years old to the effect that the test can no longer be considered a good predictor of the applicant’s possible success in frist year of college. As a result, a test that is more than five years old is not accepted by majority of colleges but anything under that is.</p>

5

<p>@Erin’s dad: actually there’s a better chance I may be staying in GA now. The last time I consulted collegeboard they had tuition listed at the same rates for both in-state and OOS at the school I was looking at (San Fran state), but apparently that was a mistake. I really would like to be in Cali but considering there’s no apparent way to get around OOS rates, I’ll probably stay in Georgia.</p>

<p>@EliKresses: I’d like to volunteer and perhaps score higher on the SAT but I really have too much on my plate to get any of those done before applying. I’ve only just started working, and my roommate and I are looking at November as our move-in window once we finalize our pick. Its not a matter of effort, but practicality. I just don’t have time to devote to non-essentials when more pressing matters still need addressing.</p>

<p>And thanks to drusba for the clarification.</p>