Giving Compass' Take:

• Research shows that retaking the SAT is beneficial for college entrance, but low-income students are less likely to take the test more than once. 

• Should the SAT be used to help determine college admissions? How can funders help level the college admissions playing field for all students? 

• Learn how a nonprofit is working to help low-income students succeed. 

Taking the SAT as early as possible and several times might sound like a drag, but new research has found that pushing through the grueling standardized test a few times is crucial for low-income students.

High schoolers considering college from low-income homes are less likely to take the exam more than once, according to a study reported by the New York Times. That’s in part because wealthy white and Asian-American high schoolers are often advised on when and how often to take the SAT, according to economists Joshua S. Goodman, Oded Gurantz, and Jonathan Smith.

More than 40% of students from communities of color waited until senior year to take the SAT, compared to 20% of white and Asian-American students.

The group of researchers gathered data from over 10 million students who took the SAT to look at how retaking the test impacted their results and college options.

Those who retook the test increased their scores and had better odds of actually enrolling in a four-year undergraduate school, where they were more likely to graduate and receive a degree than at a two-year school.

How to fix the situation? Some states started covering the cost for college entrance exams and conducting them during school hours, which is a start. Research showed students who wouldn’t have taken the test otherwise performed well and displayed their college admittance potential.

Read the full article about retaking the SAT by Leah Rodriguez at Global Citizen.