Taking the SAT multiple times: good or bad?

I'm a little stressed about my SAT scores. I've taken it twice already, and I'm not sure if I should take it again to try for a better score. Does taking the test multiple times look bad to colleges? How many times is too many?

Hey there! I can understand why you might be feeling stressed about your SAT scores. However, taking the SAT multiple times isn't frowned upon by colleges. In fact, many colleges and universities appreciate students' persistence in striving for a better score, as it demonstrates determination, and some even offer superscoring, which allows you to combine your highest scores on each subsection for your maximum composite score, even if those scores were earned on different attempts.

In terms of how many times you should take the SAT, that's a personal question, which really depends on whether or not you think you can meaningfully improve your score. Many students take the test at least twice, to see if they can bump themselves up from their baseline. But if you've already taken the test twice and haven't seen a significant change, that might be a sign that your time and energy would be better spent on something else that might make a bigger impact on your chances of acceptance, like a campaign for a leadership position in one of your extracurricular activities.

Finally, do remember that many schools are currently using test-optional policies, so you may not need to submit your scores at all. You can read more about these policies on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-test-optional-mean-test-optional/.

Best of luck in your decision-making process!