Sending SAT Scores to Colleges: A Comprehensive Guide

The question of whether you can send SAT scores after applying to colleges is a common one for students navigating the college application process. While many colleges have adopted “test-optional” admissions policies, they still use scores for student support, scholarships, and class placement. This article will explore the process of sending SAT scores, when to send them (and when not to!), and what to do if your scores go missing.

Understanding SAT Score Submission

You can send your SAT scores either when you take the test or anytime after you get your scores. When you register for the SAT and for nine days after you take the test, you can send four free score reports to colleges and scholarship programs.

Sending Scores During Registration

When you register for the SAT on a weekend or take it in school on a school day, you’ll have the opportunity to select colleges and scholarship programs to send your score to for free.

Pros: These four score reports are free.
Cons: You won't know your scores before they get sent out. This means you won't be able to use SAT Score Choice to pick which scores colleges see and which they don't see.

Sending Scores After Receiving Them

You can also order SAT score reports through your College Board account any time after you get your scores.

Pros: You can choose which scores to send using SAT Score Choice.
Cons: Your first four score reports are sent out free to the colleges of your choice. After that, it costs $14 to send a score report to a college, and each report can include a number of test scores on it.

How to Send Your Scores

The process for sending your SAT scores is straightforward:

Read also: Final Transcript Submission

Sign in to your College Board account.
Go to the Send SAT Scores page.
Select institutions to send your scores to. Search for institutions by name or code. Click one or more institutions to add to the score recipient list. Then click Continue.
Send all your scores or only some of your scores to each recipient. If you’ve taken the SAT more than once, you can send only your best score. However, the institution you’re sending scores to might have a policy that requires you to send all your scores. As you select scores to send, review the policy requirements of the schools you selected. Then send them what they need.
Review your order. Then check out.

The process works the same way regardless of whether you’re sending your scores to apply for colleges, scholarship programs, or military academies.

Fee Waivers

If you have a fee waiver, you can send as many scores as you want-for free. Each time you register to take the SAT on a weekend, you can send your score to up to four organizations for free. You can designate your score recipients at the time you register or any time until you take the test. You also have until nine days after the test to use or change your free score sends. If you take the SAT during the week at your school, you must choose your free score sends during exam setup or within three days after testing, as instructed by your school. To make or change your selections within those three days, use your sign-in ticket from this test to sign in to Bluebook.

SAT Score Choice

SAT Score Choice lets you pick which scores you send to schools. You can select individual test dates, but not test sections. In other words, you pick the date of the SAT you want to send, and the College Board will send out scores from that test and that test only. For example, if you took the SAT three times, and the second time you were nursing a fever and just generally having a bad day, you can choose not to send those scores.

Superscoring

Some colleges “superscore,” which means they look at your best scores for the Reading and Writing and Math sections, even if they’re from different test days. Send scores with your best section results to colleges that superscore the SAT.

When to Send SAT Scores

Official SAT score reports should get to your schools by their respective application deadline. Most colleges receive test scores electronically through software that files your score with the rest of your application materials. If you are worried about beating deadlines, you can pay extra for the College Board's rush service. Remember, schools choose the timing themselves, with some getting score reports only weekly.

Sending Scores Early

Yes, sending SAT scores to college even before you submit your application is ok and possible. Colleges and universities you selected at your ACT/SAT registration will almost certainly receive your results before you complete your application. Every college has its own unique system for filing away the early test scores that they receive until applications start to come in. When you submit your application, they will check if they have the scores already on record.

One benefit of sending in your ACT or SAT scores early is the fact that you can save money. Since both the SAT and ACT allow you to select up to four colleges to submit your results to when you register for the exams, you can save between $12 and $18 per test per school. Another benefit worth noting is that you can cross it off your to-do list!

Deadlines

Applications for Early Decision and Early Action are usually due on November 1st or 15th, which means the latest you should take the SAT or ACT should be in October. You should always check with your potential colleges regarding their policies for submitting ACT and SAT scores as well as their deadlines. As mentioned previously, every school is different, and you don’t want to discover at the last minute that your dream college won’t accept your test result because you submitted it too late!

What if Your Scores Go Missing?

The most likely reason your target college can't find your SAT score report is that you picked the wrong school's name on the form. If you registered for the four free reports, check your own score report to confirm that the colleges you put in are correct. A good rule of thumb is to wait three weeks after you send your SAT scores to check whether they've been received. If you get a notice from the college that your scores are missing, don't panic: often, it can take up to a few weeks for received application materials to be logged. Chances are, the school has indeed received your scores but simply hasn't filed them yet. As a precautionary measure, it is a good idea to follow up with the college to make sure that they have received your test scores. You don’t want to find out too late that there was a mix-up and your school never received your results. A simple call to the application office or admissions department will do the trick!

Test-Optional Policies and Holistic Review

Colleges usually take a “holistic view” of your application. That means that they’ll look at everything together, not just the individual parts. Colleges that accept the SAT will look at your scores in context. That includes the rest of your application: your high school grades, letters of recommendation, activities, and essays.

Read also: Official ACT Score Reporting

The Benefits of Submitting Scores

Submitting your SAT score helps schools accurately represent their freshman class. If only the students with the highest scores submit those scores to colleges, the admissions data won't reflect the actual average SAT scores of the students on their campus. Most importantly, sharing your SAT scores with colleges and universities sets you up for success in your first year on campus.

Important Considerations Before Applying

I recommend that you find out what all your ACT and SAT test scores are prior to applying anywhere because you may have to decide on a case-by-case basis which test should be submitted to a particular school or not at all. You have no idea of what your future scores will be so you should wait. Also be aware that some colleges do want the entire series of test results on your test scores so do your research up front so you know which colleges those are as well. Most people have safety, target, and reach schools. So if their ACT or SAT scores are not quite solid enough for their top choice reach schools, they typically don't submit those but they submit them to their safety or target schools. After you submit your portal Application to all your schools, you can't go back and edit what you do not wish the colleges to see nor can you add additional information or change out your essays or short answers. Therefore, do not submit your college applications unless they are complete.

Sending Scores and College Communication

When you request that we send your scores to institutions or other organizations as directed by you through your College Board account, we send your scores, certain demographic information, and other information you provide to College Board to those institutions and organizations. These organizations may use this data to send you information about admissions, educational, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities. Being contacted by these organizations does not mean you have been admitted or are eligible for a scholarship or financial aid program.

Key Takeaways

You can send SAT scores after applying to colleges, but it's crucial to meet deadlines.
Utilize SAT Score Choice to send your best scores.
Understand each college's score submission policies.
Don't panic if scores are initially missing; follow up with the college.
Consider the benefits of sending scores, even to test-optional schools.

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