Taking the SAT multiple times?

I've heard of people taking the SAT more than once, but is there a limit to how many times you can take the test? Will colleges look down on my application if I'm retaking it to improve my score?

There is no strict limit to the number of times you can take the SAT, but it's common for students to take it 2-3 times to improve their scores. Colleges will typically consider your highest SAT score when reviewing your application, and many schools have a "superscore" policy, which means they'll take the highest section scores across all of your test attempts and combine them into a new, higher overall score.

That being said, retaking the SAT more than 3-4 times could raise questions about your ability to prepare and improve. Additionally, each testing attempt comes with registration costs and consumes valuable time that you could spend on other aspects of your college application, such as strengthening your extracurricular involvement or working on your college essays.

In general, it's best to focus on preparing well for the SAT before taking it the first time, using practice tests and study materials to familiarize yourself with the test structure and content. If you feel the need to retake the test, aim for significant score improvement by focusing on the areas where you struggled, with the goal of limiting the total number of attempts to 3 or fewer if possible.

Colleges understand that students may want to improve their SAT scores, so they won't necessarily look down on applicants who take the test multiple times. However, excessive testing without significant improvement could raise some red flags. The key is to find a balance between testing attempts and showcasing other parts of your application that demonstrate your potential for success in college.