Originally posted by: soydios
If you know already that you will be applying to a college, and this is the last time you will be taking the SAT, then send your scores. If you don't have a file open at that college, they will open one when they receive the first bit of documentation with your name on it, regardless of if it came from you, your school, or the College Board. Plus, you get to send four scores for free when you take a test; it's ten bucks otherwise. But, if your scores improve after later test dates, you'll have to resend the scores.
When you send your SAT scores to colleges, they receive a report from the College Board with all your SAT Reasoning and SAT Subject Test scores, EVERY SINGLE ONE. Almost all colleges will take the best score from each individual section and then add them up (best possible scenario for you, the applicant). Only the ACT lets you pick which scores to send.
For test prep, I just used the big thick "Real SATs" book from the College Board. Beyond the College Board SAT books, you can do their online courses (which looks like a good thing if you want it), or go to one of the hardcore SAT prep places like Princeton Review (some of my friends did this, and for all their bitching and moaning, they still did it, so it must've been worth it).
Test-Day Tips:
I cannot emphasize this enough: GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP; it's the next four years of your life versus one night of partying, alright? In the morning, look at the practice test and do a few questions from each section before getting in the car to drive to the test location, to get you "warmed up" so to speak. And on the way to the test location, in the car, don't cram, listen to your absolute favorite songs instead. Bring snacks and water.
Plan on taking the SAT Reasoning Test twice, but don't sign up for the second one until you've received scores from the first. If you did well your first time around, great! If you did well enough, I would recommend taking it again, because every little bit helps. If you didn't do well, no problem, just take it again.
My personal story:
I am a current high school senior. I took the ACT last April, and did quite well on it, and I only took it once. I took my SAT Subject Tests in May, and did pretty well on those. I took my SAT Reasoning Test in June, and did not even come close to what I was expecting, based on my nice ACT score. Somewhat miffed (and with parents second-guessing me for not taking an SAT review course), I took it again in October. Slam dunk, scores in line with my ACT. I got into a college early (which would not have happened had my lackluster SAT scores, particularly math since I'm entering an engineering major, not improved), and I was done.
Whether you improve the second time around or not depends on many things. The person, whether you had a crummy day the first time or the second time, whatever.
Remember this: the SAT does *NOT* measure how smart you are, only how good you are at taking the SAT.
