Why Take the SAT Multiple Times?
My head still has hair, but I’m removing some each time I read or hear that a student is taking "one last SAT test." With such an important test, especially one your student has studied hard for, the agenda should include at least two more tests. Why should parents and students plan for multiple SAT dates?
1. What about "Over-testing?"
It’s a horrible rumor, and it’s unsubstantiated. In 15 years of interviewing admissions counselors at 94 competitive colleges, not one officer has indicated that colleges penalize an applicant for taking too many tests. Students who do well on their fourth SAT but whose prior SAT scores were mediocre earn acceptances based on their higher score. Too many students "under-test," and it leaves them bereft of a score they could have used to gain admission.
2. Doesn’t three mediocre scores mean my kid is unlikely to improve?
No! Ivy Bound Test Prep sees students every fall who ping a score 80–100 points higher than their prior base SAT. Ivy Bound Test Prep sees students who gain 10–13 section points (that’s 3 composite points) on the ACT. Even a 50-point SAT improvement makes a significant difference in some admissions decisions. Even a 1-point ACT improvement, when you are on the "bubble" for a denial or admission makes a difference.
3. Why would a fourth test make a difference?
Anything can happen on test day. A student who struggles with reading gets two favorable passages and has the best reading score ever. A student who typically runs out of time on math has the adrenaline or the mindset to move through the questions faster and finally complete the sections. A student who was distracted on past tests has a tutor who helps him focus on going through the test without diversions.
4. Why do you EXPECT a difference?
Because a student's extra weeks of study and additional test experience are added to their Test Day toolkit, we anticipate an improvement. We have seen enough senior year improvements to know that the extra work almost always pays off in some way.
5. But my kid will be emotionally crushed if we have another score that’s no higher.
Emotions are hard to address. We suspect that the student who would have a truly crushing low is the student who would have a euphoric "high" when the result is good. And our experience is that the odds of "high" are better than the odds of "low." The best way to have zero emotional downside is to prepare a proper mindset. Two that might be helpful are:
"You have a lot to gain and nothing to lose – no college offer is going to get rescinded."
"Do your best – we love you no matter the result."