So, forgive my ignorance … but for the SAT, how does this work?
Is there an advantage to choosing “Score Choice”? As I understand it, schools either superscore, taking the best section and mixing and matching, so in theory you could be judged by your October CR plus your November M plus your December W; or they just take the best overall composite score (e.g. the best test date.)
Score choice only allows you to take the best score (composite) for the regular main test (CR + M + W), or, if you also take subject tests, the best score among those. So in regards to the regular main test, if schools superscore, it would be counterproductive because they couldn’t mix and match; and if they take the best composite, there’d be no advantage because that’s what they’d take anyway, they’d just do it themselves (or their computer would). Which makes it seem moot.
Am I missing something, or being naive, or not understanding it?
I think there is a concern that even if a school superscores, a very low score might be noticed by admissions and damage a student’s chances. Also, if later sitting produces better scores in all categories, the college never needs to know how many times the student tested and how poor their initial scores were. My kids didn’t send scores until all testing was done, and used score choice where allowed by the colleges.
Some students are unhappy with their initial SAT or ACT scores, and elect to try the other test. In that case, they may never want to send the one that went poorly.
So four free SAT scores are included with each registration. You can list the schools you’re interested in, but then, if you decided NOT to send them yet and wanted to wait to see how you do later on, you could do that but still get it sent free a month or two later (if it turned out to be the best ones) because of Score Choice.
But you can still decide which test date to send after they’re all taken and pay the $11 per school. You either (a) decide what to send afterwards via Score Choice and don’t pay for four schools, or you (b) decide what to send afterwards on your own and pay $11.
In that case, you always have score choice.You just have to pay for it. Do I have that right?
If I understand your question, don’t think it works that way, unless it has changed recently. You have to pick the 4 free schools before you see the scores, I think. You can’t go back later to send the free ones if you didn’t use them to start with.
We waited till our kids were done with all sittings of the SAT I (both took it twice) and subject tests (also had a couple taken twice), and their college lists were finalized (felt we couldn’t do that without score info), then paid to send scores. It does require planning test dates out in advance to get through testing and possible retesting in time.
"Score Choice gives you the option to choose which scores (by test date for the SAT and by individual test for SAT Subject Tests) you send to colleges – in accordance with an institution’s stated score-use practice.
If you decided not to use Score Choice, all of your scores will be sent to your recipients. You should still feel comfortable sending all scores, since most colleges consider a student’s best score."
https://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-score-choice
In other words, Score Choice lets you pick which dates of the SAT you submit. If you send more than one date, it’s up to the college itself whether it looks only at the best scores (superscoring) or all of them; you’d have to check with the individual school if it matters to you.
@intparent, I meant you always have “score choice” (lowercase) in the sense that you can always decide to send your choice of scores afterwards for the $11 fee, as you did, after seeing the scores. So you can pick which dates of the SAT you submit, no matter what, if I’m right on that. Score Choice isn’t somehow the ONLY way to pick the dates to submit.
So, then, the advantage of Score Choice (the program) would be that you send your choice of scores for free? (Up to four schools, using the “four schools per registration” rule.) In other words, it’s a kind of formal, slightly less costly way to do what you can do anyway?
@Pheebers, all the schools my kid looking at that aren’t test optional either superscore or take the highest composite.
Score choice does not let you send the scores for free. You get 4 free score reports to send up until 9 days after the SAT test has been taken and these are send blind, meaning you do not get to see the results before sending. If you use Score choice, you have already received your scores back so you will have to pay for each score you select to send. Once you have the scores back, nothing is free unless you have fee waivers.
Oh my. I’m not really seeing the advantage here over just choosing for yourself when and what to send after seeing the scores …
Score choice basically eliminates the chances of sending a low score you do not want the colleges to see. There are several colleges that will not accept Score choice so you need to check each schools requirements. For example, Stanford is one school where all scores need to be sent.
But doesn’t sending it yourself, later, also eliminate the chances of sending a low score? Because you pick after you’ve seen the score? (None of the schools my kid is applying to require all scores.) He hasn’t listed any schools for scores with his registration, so it’s not as if they’re going to send blind anyway … I’m trying to figure out if he should do “Score Choice” or if it’s just irrelevant unless a kid is planning on applying to Stanford et al and already listed it. Would you say “well it doesn’t hurt, so pick Score Choice”?
Yes, sending the scores and paying the fees will eliminate sending low scores but if you fill out the 4 free score reports at the time of the test, then some applicants will end up sending low scores.
Some schools frown upon Score Choice such as the California UC’s, Stanford since they want to see all scores.
From the UC website:
::In the College Board’s Score Choice module, ensure that all scores are sent to UC. We require all scores and will use the highest scores from a single administration::
Some schools will super score, so sending all scores is important. Unless your son has a sitting with really low scores in comparison to his other scores, I really do not think it makes a difference.