I just want to talk quickly about receiving your SAT scores and what you should do after you have gotten them.
Receiving Your Scores
There are two ways that you will receive your SAT scores. Everyone is sent their scores by mail about a month after the completion of the test, so be on the lookout for them about a month after you take the test. The second way is online. If you have registered online with CollegeBoard you can view your scores about 20-25 days after you have taken the test. To get the exact dates that your scores will be released check here.
Contact Your Guidance Counselor
You should contact you guidance counselor after you have received your SAT scores to make sure that he/she has also received your scores. Normally this is done automatically, but there is no harm in making sure that it happened. This will be important when your guidance counselor is preparing your transcript and writing your letter of recommendation.
To Retake or Not To Retake
This is probably the biggest issue you will face after you have received your scores. If you received the scores that you wanted or the scores that you believe you need to get into the college(s) of your choice then there really is no need to retake the SATs. However, if you did not receive the scores you were looking for there is no harm in retaking the SATs. The only issue is that you will have to pay for them again. However, beyond that you will not be penalized for retaking the exam. In fact, typically you get better at taking the SATs every time. Also, colleges only look at your best scores, even if they were on different tests. So, for example, let’s say you got a 650 verbal but a 400 math on your first try, so you take the SATs again and get a 600 verbal but a 550 math. Your total SAT score will then be 1200 (not including the writing portion). In the end it comes down to what your situation is, but make sure you assess whether or not retaking the SATs would help your chances of getting into the colleges you are applying to before you make your decision on what to do.
Sending Out Your Scores
One of the things that you need to do is send your scores to the colleges that you are applying to. This is not something that you have to do until you have submitted your application, but I figured I’d mention it here. You can send your scores via CollegeBoard.com as another one of the services that they offer. This is important because most colleges require an official SAT report from College Board, so there is no reason not to do it through their site.
