[kala83]

so I am looking at going back to school in a few years from now to study biology and zoology.

I am 29 years old right now and probably would be into my thirties when I went back to school again the place I am looking at is a local university in my local area.

and I know that their admissions looks at high school grades as part of the application process.

what I am wondering if if I wanted to re take the SAT and ACT again before going to school again could I have that kind of option when I am as old as I am.

sadly when I was in high school I did not focus horribly much on the SAT or the ACT and I really feel that is going to nip me in the *** now.

[Piraeus]

As far as I know, anyone can take the SAT or ACT any time you like. They have books that help you study for the exams. Make sure you get the most recent study guide, because they do change over time.

Piraeus

[Travelinglady]

I certainly would think so. I can't say this for a fact, but I'm thinking that if the scores are from years ago, then the schools might want an updated score. Congrats on wanting to go back to school!

[tokiwartooth]

Yep you definitely can take it again whenever you want. I know that the scores are only good for a certain amount of time, 5 years I believe. There's more info here on the College Board's webpage, which is the official page for the SAT. SAT - College Board - The Most Widely Used College Admission Exam

[kala83]

so I actually started studying for the SAT today and plan on doing so every monday now. I am really thrilled about this and hope I can put a lot of effort into it.

[catsrhelm]

Way to go! I say you are never too old for anything. Age is just a number.

[Perna]

It depends on the school/courses you take; sometimes when you get older they don't bother with those particular tests if you have work background/life experience; they just have you take their own tests (math and English) or something. I wouldn't worry about it until you apply and they tell you what tests to take, etc.

[Fresia]

Some schools only recognize the SAT and ACT scores, as mentioned above, for 3-7 years but you can take them at any time. Every school is so different in what they require of adult students as there are different standards and many do not consider the scores valid after a period of time due the test changing so much over the years that there is no way to compare the results.

I would check with the school(s) you are considering attending to verify the admissions requirements BEFORE spending the money and time on exams you might not necessarily need.

[kala83]

well the college I want to transfer to does say for a transfer student that they do want a new student to send in thier scores from the SAT and ACT and it has been over five years.....I think re taking them would not nessicarly hurt me.

[ochoa.c]

You can take them whenever you want as many times as you want. Don't let the test disrupt your dreams to get somewhere and go for it.

[Miswimmy1]

Are you applying as an undergraduate student? Or for graduate school? My college counselor said that after you've taken about a year of college, the admissions office doesn't really look at your high school grades or SAT scores. I was interested in transferring after a year to another university and I asked if I should retake my SAT to try and get a better score. My counselor said that the university would primarily look at my GPA from my first year of college.

[Perna]

Yes, I would rather just take a couple courses at the local community college or an accredited online university and then "transfer" to wherever you want. You'd get an idea if you really are interested in going back to school and how hard it might be, etc. and your grades and "experience" would be enough to get you in the school you really were interested in going to. Too, the basic courses you took would be out of the way so you could concentrate more on what you wanted to study, you'd have fewer required general courses to take.