he reality is simple: you should probably take the SAT more than once, unless you knock it so far out of the park on your first shot that it really is unnecessary. In a college admissions market where competition and pressure are sky high, however, it’s easy to let things get out of hand. It’s hard to know when to stop, when enough really is enough.
To Retake or Not Retake?
The SAT is offered in January, March, May, June, October, November, and December. Theoretically, you could start in January and go straight through the year, taking it month after month. There are a number of reasons why this would be a bad idea, not the least of which being that it would probably drive you completely crazy. Here are a few others:
- Remember that while many schools do have score choice, some do not. Some colleges, like Yale, require that you send all of your scores. This becomes an issue if you took the test before you were ready, in January, for example, and got scores that are way less than great.
It’s also important to consider what kind of message it sends a college if you’ve taken the SAT five times. If you’re getting good scores, but keep retaking the test and staying in the same range, it might seem like you’re obsessive about testing. If you’re scores are uneven, it might seem like your good score is just a fluke.
- Leave time for your other tests. You can’t take the SAT I and SAT II’s on the same day (not that you’d want to), so some of those dates have to be reserved for SAT II’s.
Scores aren’t everything. I know, I know, we’re a test prep and tutoring company; scores are what we’re all about. Honestly, though, they’re just one piece of the puzzle. You can spend every spare minute studying for the SAT, and taking and retaking the test, but if you’re neglecting your grades, or not exploring interesting extracurricular activities, your scores might not make the difference. - They’re one thing, and yes, you want them to be as good as they possibly can. At the same time, however, make sure that you’re developing other sides of yourself, both for the sake of looking interesting to college admissions officers, and for the sake of actually being interesting.
Most people end up taking the SAT two or three times. Some people take it a fourth time, but generally, twice or three times works. Most often, students take it for the first time in March, then again in either May or June (whichever month isn’t used for a second shot at the SAT is usually used for SAT IIs), and then again in October, if necessary. Don’t go overboard, but don’t sell yourself short—set a goal, work hard, achieve it, and then put the SAT behind you.
