The Most Recent SAT: All Colleges Only Take This?

I've been trying to keep my stress levels down (keywords being trying), but I can't help but worry about my SAT scores. Do some colleges only consider your most recent SAT score, or do they look at all your scores?

Colleges vary in how they approach SAT scores. Some colleges superscore, which means they take your highest score from each section across all test dates. So if you took the SAT twice and got higher math scores one time but higher reading and writing scores the other, they would combine those to calculate your best possible score. This method can be favorable if you've taken the SAT multiple times and improved in different sections each time.

However, other colleges consider all of your SAT scores, though they may still focus more on your highest score from a single test date. Then there are colleges that allow score choice, which lets you decide which test dates you want to send.

It's always a good idea to check the testing policy of the colleges you're interested in, as they can vary widely. Remember, though, that while test scores are an important part of your application, they're just one among many factors that colleges consider. They'll also be looking at things like your grades, course rigor, your activities outside of class and personal essays. So don't let stress over test scores overshadow other aspects of your application.