Should You Retake the SAT?

You may be wondering if you should retake the SAT. Here are some things to know:

For most schools, your SAT score is an important part of their admissions consideration. It is a standardized way to compare you to students at other high schools. A 4.0 GPA at an easy high school looks the same as a 4.0 at a very challenging high school. Class rank works the same way, where the top 10% at a small elite high school is much harder to attain than the top 10% at a large comprehensive high school. Because of these differences, the SAT is used as a way to more fairly compare two students from different schools.

If you have a low GPA and/or class rank, a great SAT score (1200 or above) can secure your admission to a school that may be just out of reach for someone with your grades and class rank. The higher your GPA and class rank, the less important your SAT score is, unless you are applying to a very elite school. If you have a really low SAT score, but a good class rank, you can look at test optional schools. You may have to write an additional essay or send in your AP test scores instead. Here's a link to a list of test optional schools: https://blog.prepscholar.com/the-complete-guide-to-sat-optional-colleges

Check the GPA/class rank and SAT requirements for the schools you want to attend. If your scores are at or above the average for that school, you have a great chance of being accepted and you probably don't need to retake the SAT. If you do not fit their average student profile, you will want to retake the SAT to give yourself a chance of getting into that school.

Some scholarships place a high emphasis on the SAT. I had one student who was planning to attend the University of St. Thomas. He was accepted based on his GPA and SAT score, but was told he could qualify for $8000 a year more in scholarships if he retook the SAT and improved his score by 50 points. Needless to say, he retook the SAT. Many other scholarships include SAT score as a criteria for their decisions.

What day should you retake the SAT?

August 25: This is the ideal time for most students to retake the SAT. School has not started yet, so there's not much to distract you from preparing for the exam. You will also get your scores back in time to meet the November 1st application deadline for the more elite schools.

October 6: This is the last date you can test and still have your scores sent to the elite schools in time for their Early Decision admissions deadline.

November 3: This date will work if you are applying for regular admissions to most universities.

December 1: This is the last day you will want to take the SAT, in order for it to be considered in your admissions decision.

The deadline to register for the SAT is one month before the date of the exam. You can sign up at this link: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register. Our school receives a limited number of fee waivers each year. You may get one if you qualify to receive free/reduced lunch. They are given out on a first come, first served basis. If there are no fee waivers left, you can still register for the SAT, but you will have to pay for it yourself. Ask your parents if they can help.

If you do retake the SAT, you need to prepare for it. If you just show up and take it again, you will likely get the same score or lower. There are many ways to prepare for the SAT. Here are a few:

1. Take a course with a company like Testmasters, Princeton Review, or Kaplan. These courses can cost close to $1000, but generally give students a 100-150 point improvement on their scores.

2. Hire a private tutor. This is cheaper than taking one of the courses above since you pay by the hour, but can give you the boost you need to improve your scores. Be sure to get a tutor who is familiar with the SAT.

3. Use Khan Academy. Khan is a free online resource to prepare for the SAT. It is especially beneficial for the math portion of the exam. There are also practice tests you can take on Khan Academy.

4. Use online practice tests. You can find online practice tests at https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice/full-length-practice-tests. These tests include answer explanations which are very valuable for understanding why an answer is correct. You can use them to practice the exact timing of the real SAT if you think time management is a problem for you. Use your phone as a timer to practice finishing each section. Remember that you will need to move quickly to finish the exam without having to guess on the last questions. Click on this link for the times for each SAT section: https://www.collegeraptor.com/getting-in/articles/act-sat/your-guide-to-the-new-sat-timing-content-scoring-and-tips/

5. Use a review book. There are many SAT review workbooks on the market. You may even be able to find one at Half Price Books. Just be sure it was published within the last two years.

Not everyone will need to retake the SAT. Use the infomation in this post to determine if that is the right choice for you. Be sure to study and prepare well and you will likely improve your score.