Should You Retake the SAT or ACT After a Perfect or Excellent Score?
Retaking the SAT or ACT after achieving a perfect or excellent score might not be necessary for most students, but it depends on your goals and the universities you’re targeting.
- Common Practice: Most students take these exams twice, and some even three times, aiming for the best possible score. If your current score is already excellent, a retake might not add significant value.
- Superscoring Advantage: Universities like Cornell and Columbia consider superscores, combining the highest section scores from different attempts. If your section scores vary, retaking could help improve your overall profile.
- All Scores Policy: Many universities require reporting all SAT attempts. A lower retake score could dilute your application strength.
- ACT to SAT Transition Risk: If you scored high on the ACT (e.g., 35) but test poorly on the SAT, it might appear your ACT performance was a fluke. Only report SAT scores that match or exceed your ACT results.
In conclusion, retake only if you’re confident of improvement or targeting specific section boosts while ensuring all scores align with your application strategy.
