Anonymous
Post 08/14/2025 07:25     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If your child is aiming for a top 20 or t50, what score on first try would you recommend they stop?

So for example, if they got a 1500 on first try, would you encourage them to try again or would you encourage them to be done?



I would stop there and focus on other things because it's 99th percentile already at 1500. What's the point of going for 99.5 percentile if you really think about it?


Might be 99th percentile overall, but it's less than 25th percentile for students accepted with scores at Johns Hopkins, Duke, MIT, Stanford, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt...


In the post-covid, test-optional era. Those scores are inflated. 1500 is not disqualifying.
Anonymous
Post 08/14/2025 06:50     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
My kid got a 750/750 first try.

Did it twice more w no further studying. And we live a walkable distance from test site.

Ended up w a 750/800 superscore.

Had August test date scheduled but canceled that one.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 22:42     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If your child is aiming for a top 20 or t50, what score on first try would you recommend they stop?

So for example, if they got a 1500 on first try, would you encourage them to try again or would you encourage them to be done?



I would stop there and focus on other things because it's 99th percentile already at 1500. What's the point of going for 99.5 percentile if you really think about it?


Might be 99th percentile overall, but it's less than 25th percentile for students accepted with scores at Johns Hopkins, Duke, MIT, Stanford, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt...
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 21:57     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I would stop if it exceeds the threshold for merit. Getting merit is probably the best investment one can make. Zero capital huge return.



Most t20 schools don't give merit and if they do, they certainly don't publish a minimum score.


Honey, so only kids aiming for t20 can participate in this discussion?
I am so tired of people taking every opportunity as their bragging point.
GMAFB
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 21:50     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:It is really astounding how much of the application process relies on honesty by the applicants.

To clarify, if you self-report in the app, you would be required to submit an official score report to verify those scores at the time of enrollment.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 21:49     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:1520+ is one and done IMO. No benefit after that.


I would say it's about 1520 or 1530 because that's the top 1% I believe and the equivalent to ACT 35.


Would also add that I would not encourage taking more than 3 times unless your kid really has nothing better to do. Studies have shown that scores are not likely to go up much after 3 times.

NP. How much higher one might score depends much more on when the test was taken than how many times.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 21:42     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:1520+ is one and done IMO. No benefit after that.


I would say it's about 1520 or 1530 because that's the top 1% I believe and the equivalent to ACT 35.


Would also add that I would not encourage taking more than 3 times unless your kid really has nothing better to do. Studies have shown that scores are not likely to go up much after 3 times.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 21:40     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:1520+ is one and done IMO. No benefit after that.


I would say it's about 1520 or 1530 because that's the top 1% I believe and the equivalent to ACT 35.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 21:38     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
1520+ is one and done IMO. No benefit after that.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 21:37     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Despite all the talk about superscoring, atleast at the T10 privates, there is a huge advantage to taking the test one time and getting a good score.

AO's cannot unsee the super scoring. They know the student had to try multiple times to mash up a good score.


You're an idiot. The AOs never see the individual scores. Administrative staff "super" the scores and the AOs only see the one score. That's the whole point.

So much misinformation on this website. It's worse than the White House.


Let me get this right…
so they see only the best scores of the English and Maths,( even if you take it 3 times)?

Some of them require an official score report from College Board, and for those you'd choose your two best test dates. (With the exception of Georgetown, as mentioned by a PP.)

But, most of them will let you self-report scores in Common App. You just put your highest score for each section and the test date.


And when you get in, sending officials scores is required. So this is not really self reporting without oversight.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 21:34     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
It is really astounding how much of the application process relies on honesty by the applicants.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 21:20     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Despite all the talk about superscoring, atleast at the T10 privates, there is a huge advantage to taking the test one time and getting a good score.

AO's cannot unsee the super scoring. They know the student had to try multiple times to mash up a good score.


You're an idiot. The AOs never see the individual scores. Administrative staff "super" the scores and the AOs only see the one score. That's the whole point.

So much misinformation on this website. It's worse than the White House.


Let me get this right…
so they see only the best scores of the English and Maths,( even if you take it 3 times)?

Some of them require an official score report from College Board, and for those you'd choose your two best test dates. (With the exception of Georgetown, as mentioned by a PP.)

But, most of them will let you self-report scores in Common App. You just put your highest score for each section and the test date.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 21:09     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Despite all the talk about superscoring, atleast at the T10 privates, there is a huge advantage to taking the test one time and getting a good score.

AO's cannot unsee the super scoring. They know the student had to try multiple times to mash up a good score.


AO cannot see if you are superscoring. They only see the best score


Many kids are doing “no prep” superscoring. They will not spend too much time prepping, just repeat and repeat. Chances are they will eventually get a higher superscore. But this does consume much time out of their already busy schedule.



^^But this does NOT^^
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 20:52     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:I would stop if it exceeds the threshold for merit. Getting merit is probably the best investment one can make. Zero capital huge return.



Most t20 schools don't give merit and if they do, they certainly don't publish a minimum score.
Anonymous
Post 08/13/2025 20:51     Subject: Sat score first try - where would you stop?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Despite all the talk about superscoring, atleast at the T10 privates, there is a huge advantage to taking the test one time and getting a good score.

AO's cannot unsee the super scoring. They know the student had to try multiple times to mash up a good score.


You're an idiot. The AOs never see the individual scores. Administrative staff "super" the scores and the AOs only see the one score. That's the whole point.

So much misinformation on this website. It's worse than the White House.


Let me get this right…
so they see only the best scores of the English and Maths,( even if you take it 3 times)?


Other than Georgetown and maybe MIT, yeah they don’t care. You can take as many times to superscore them.