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Just as the SAT has evolved over the years, so too have the “rules” surrounding it.
The first SAT was administered on June 23, 1926, to 8,040 students. In 2022, nearly 100 years later, some 1.7 million students took the exam as part of their college application process.
The test has survived a multitude of revisions over the year, with a major overhaul scheduled for March 2024 when the test will go digital in the United States and decrease significantly in length from three hours to two hours.
The good news for students is that they will continue to have control over which of their scores get reviewed by colleges. Students can take the current and/or new SAT exam and all their scores are recorded on their College Board account. When it’s time to apply to college, students can literally check off the scores they want to submit. Colleges do not know how many times a student has taken the SAT and do not see any scores that students do not want to share.
Many students are unaware of their control over their SAT scores. Rumors fly that colleges do not like students to take the SAT more than three times, and that they have access to all a student’s scores. Neither is true.
More College Connection:How to prepare for National College Decision Day on May 1
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When students register, on Collegeboard.org, to take the SAT, they have the option of listing four colleges to receive their test scores free of charge. Students should leave this section blank, as they do not know prior to taking the test whether they will get scores that are worthy of being shared. After students have taken the SAT for the last time, they should log into their College Board account and select only their highest scores to be shared with colleges. The current cost is $12 for each college submission.
Many colleges “super score,” meaning they are willing to review a student’s Math score from one SAT sitting and Evidence-based Reading and Writing score from another SAT sitting. But students cannot submit just half of a test score, so colleges will actually see the scores from both sections of any SAT that is submitted.
In essence, students get unlimited do-overs, and they should maximize that advantage. While taking the SAT may not be the most pleasant use of a Saturday morning, the payoff can be significant. Most colleges allocate merit scholarship awards based on SAT scores, as it’s the one level playing field on which to compare all applicants. So by taking the test several times and submitting ones highest scores, students have the best chance of earning impressive scholarship funds for their freshman year of college. These awards are typically renewed for the student’s next three years, as long as a minimum GPA is maintained.
Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review which offers PSAT/SAT® preparation, essay editing, and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362
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