Delay in Oct 8 SAT scores

<p>DD took the SAT on October 8. The original online posting date was October 24. DD checked that date...no scores posted. She received an email from the College Board saying she her scores were available online on Wednesday the 26th. When she went online to check...they were not there. A new message said..check back on October 29. Today is October 29...she checked and still the scores are not posted. Both DD and I emailed the College Board inquiring when the scores would be available. This is particularly important to DD since she applied EA to two schools, and her top choice deadline is November 1. The school does indicate that the October administration of the SAT is fine for EA...but they are NOT going to wait forever to get those scores. DD did send her May scores, but is hoping that her Oct scores are a bit better. To be honest, I'm disgusted. We pay the College Board for a service and, in my opinion, if they can't or don't deliver, they should not be charging us. There were students who took the SAT in May and their scores were not released (for some unknown reason...parents inquired and were not told why) until JULY. This is simply unacceptable especially when a student's college acceptance may hinge on those SAT scores. Luckily, my child HAD May scores to send. This monololy testing company (yes, I know the ACT is out there, but it was not even administered in this state in time for the EA application...administration is not until November) has all of us as hostages with little recourse if they do not do their job.</p>

<p>Welcome to dealing with the "Cash Cow" that is CB. Don't worry too much, the deadline is 1 NOV so you have time. CB knows the deadline and my guess is the colleges will get the scores next week. Continue to check w/ the schools and on the CB website.</p>

<p>Thumper:</p>

<p>Very very frustrating. FWIW, however, the Nov. 1 deadline is for apps to be sent. There is leeway for scores, transcripts and recs. Let's hope the scores are available by Monday.<br>
By the way, the only scores that matter are the one sent directly from the CB. Can you call and ask about the exact time when the scores will be sent to colleges?</p>

<p>Thumper I am so sorry to hear that. My son had this experience last May. His test did not make their first score run. He did get the scores about 2 weeks late. Calling was a nightmare. I understand that they get to hear from many unhappy folks all day long. Some were so nice and others were not. In the end we got the scores, but my S was so upset and depressed. We both were wondering if after prepping and taking this test, whether he would even get scores. This seems to happen to a large # of kids, not that this helps you. The info we got was that when you register it clearly states that they have 60 days (from the date scores are released) to get the scores to you. They wait sometime to "investigate" what happened. I believe one could speed this process (date they investigate) by calling. The phone calls take forever, so I suggest finding a chunk of time that you are willing to put your life on hold, and carry a cordless phone so that you can multi-task! </p>

<p>I hope that she gets her scores soon and this becomes ancient history! It will probably get there on time. I would call to speed the process up if at all possible. You are right, at least she has scores. Still it is so unfair for anyone to be put through this marathon of an exam and not get scores back on time!
I remember how we felt very well!!</p>

<p>Have you posted your specific question on each school's site to discover how many other EA applicants are also affected? Not a help but more a curiosity.</p>

<p>We have now sent two separate emails to the College Board. Neither has been answered. We'll give it until next week. The colleges DO have SAT scores....just not the most recent ones. Hopefully the scores will be online by midweek. If not, I will call. The website says that the Oct 8 scores will be mailed to the colleges and to the students on November 4. If her scores are not online by that time, we will know that there will be a delay getting them to the colleges, and she will make a follow up call directly to the college with the November 1 deadline. Hopefully, this will not be necessary. I will say again...it is a disappointment that this company might not do what it says it will do, and there isn't much that can be done from this end.</p>

<p>Thumper,</p>

<p>We are still waiting here, too! Very frustrating, but since S2 is not applying EA, there is not the pressure you are experiencing! Feel for you!</p>

<p>This happened to us last year too. Generally if there is anything that doesn't "match up" ... i.e. name bubbled wrong, nickname used instead of full name, change in test location, stand-by, make-up or some inconsistency in test location, the test results will be late. The College Board WILL NOT tell you what the inconsistency is. It also could be an "irregularity" in the testing location. I suggest you call repeatedly and ask to speak to a supervisor. Try to get someone to take your phone number and agree to call you back. That is how I finally got our situation resolved. I must have called twenty times until I finally got a supervisor who was willing to help me. It is very, very frustrating.</p>

<p>thumper, since you are having trouble getting anyone on the phone at the college board, you may want to have a guidance counselor at your daughter's school call. They may be more responsive to a school representative.</p>

<p>Once you manage to get the scores, you might want to pay the extra $26 to have them sent out "rush". How frustrating that you have to pay extra when they are the ones holding up things but the school would get them sooner.</p>

<p>Cami, I've ALREADY paid for rush scores so that the schools would have the May scores (since it became obvious that the October scores would be delayed). I'm not much inclined to send them MORE of my money at this point. I will see if the scores are online when the mailing is supposed to take place (november 4). I will also send an email to the GC right now.</p>

<p>Scores still not available. The CB does not have the scores yet. They have filed a formal investigation to try to unearth my daughter's scores...or her test....or something. One thing we know is that all of the students at the test site do NOT have their scores. I spent almost two hours on the phone yesterday and today dealing with the CB. They don't seem too concerned. We are concerned, however, especially for the EA applications. Thank goodness we Rushed the May scores.</p>

<p>Thumper - Perhaps you can call the EA schools and explain the situation.</p>

<p>Fortunately we rushed the May scores to the EA schools when we realized that the college board was not going to be able to come through with the Oct scores. SO the schools already have SAT scores. DD wants her application to be processed EA...she does not want it delayed due to this mix up. The CB is actually willing to contact the colleges for us once they figure out when the scores will turn up. I've already told them that if those scores are posted online any time this week or next...THEY (the CB) can pay to have them sent Rush to the schools...and they agreed. In the meantime, DD has had nice correspondences with the admissions folks at the schools and she will write them if it looks like the scores will be very delayed. She did indicate on her applications that she took the Oct SAT...so she will let them know if the scores are being delayed. BUT she really wants her application processed now.</p>

<p>Sounds like you've got it all under control. Good luck!</p>

<p>Good luck thumper. We had an experience like yours, but it was last spring, when timing was not critical. S was still wondering whether he would ever see his scores. Tests did not make the first score run- seems to be scored in batches I guess. He got his scores 2 weeks from the date we thought they would be released. It was stressful. This is a good lesson for those who wait until the fall to take the test for the first time! At least your D has scores to use, even though she hopes to improve. My S has a friend who is taking the
Nov. sat for the first time, and he is a senior. He did not take them sooner because he thought college was not for him. Apparently he is having second thoughts. The family was not pushing for college b/c paying for their first child was very stressful. They say they will sell their home to pay the loans off.</p>

<p>There is an article in Lloyd Thacker's book "Colle Unranked" (I know Xiggi hates Thacker, but this article is not by him) by a member of the CB who describes some of the changes that occurred in the CB when they decided they could start making their members rich.... very eye-opening. Wish I had it in front of me, but the title of the essay had "Re-Member" in it....</p>

<p>Cash cow indeed!</p>

<p>We experienced the same problem last Oct. Other students in the same class in the same test center had their scores, while my daughter did not. She made the first few calls to CB and got nowhere. I took over and made several calls. It wasn't a toll free number and my phone bill verifies the many calls and 'quality time' I spent with CB. I also sent e-mails to leave a paper trail. They offered to do an 'investigation' but told me it could delay the scores (What? Delay was the problem in the first place.) I was also told that somewhere in their very fine print, they have up to 8 weeks to report the scores.(who knew?) As with your D, mine had previous spring scores that we sent to EA schools. D finally received her scores the first week in Dec. a day short of the 8 week mark. To their credit, we did get a phone call apologizing and they did rush the scores at their expense to all the colleges she had requested, and gave me a name and direct phone number if we needed any further assistance. We never received an explanation for the delay, but clearly there were no problems with her test or with the test center etc. I sympathize, it's a stressful time with applications and deadlines and the added difficulty with delayed scores makes it worse. I suggested my D take the Dec. test standby, she wanted no part of it---more tension. In the end her scores increased 140 points and made a difference with her reach schools. Worth the wait I guess, but life would have been easier if she'd gotten that news in a timely fashion. My advice to students based on our experience, never never wait till Oct. senior year to take your first SAT. Always begin spring of junior year. The only good thing to come of this experience? I found CC while googling to research the problem. And while D was our last child through the process, I have 16 nieces and nephews, some of whom are aleady looking for help with the process. I'll be around awhile. I have seen other posts of students with the same experience. Your D is not alone. Try to relax and not imagine that her test was lost, or shredded in the scoring machine, or any other disasterous scenario. Easier said than done. Chances are CB is being CB, doing things their own way and in their own time. Good luck to your D with her college applications.</p>

<p>I hope the colleges and universities understand that we are at the mercy of CB. Im sure they've heard all kinds of CB horror stories over the years. In Sept my S ordered scores sent to ED and rolling school.
He took SAT II in Oct. and ordered rushed score to ED, regular mailing to rolling and 3 other RD schools. CB rushed scores to ALL five
schools. Problem: rolling school does NOT accept rushed scores. I was on the phone hours with several reps from College Board; finally, they<br>
said they'd mail out score again in 3-5 weeks free of charge to rolling school. (I bet one of the phone operators was outsourced and in another country because I was totally unable to understand his English. ) Now S's app at the rolling school won't be complete till
Christmas or so; hopefully rolling school will still be accepting students.
Guidance counselor faxed SAT Score Report he has over to ED and rolling schools. We've been told this is fine but who knows??? This is soooo frustrating so I understand what thumper is going through.</p>