Help! Receive date for Sending SAT and ACT scores

I have a dilemma on my hands. I want to know how long it will take for colleges to receive my SAT scores if I were to send them today or tomorrow. I’m worried that if they don’t receive them by January 1st then they won’t consider my application, I know some schools are strict like UT Austin, I’m not applying there. while there are other schools that set your file aside until the scores arrive. My current scores are 1470 for sat, I also have subject test scores of 730 on MATH 2 and 580 on physics. I retook both these subject tests in December and the scores come out December 22. Should I send my sat scores now or wait until the 22nd to send Sat and subject test scores together so I don’t have to pay the extra money? Also If I were to send my sat score of 1470 to colleges today should I include my 730 math or not? I will send these scores to the colleges that require them but I was wondering if a 730 math would help my application at schools which only “recommend” SAT2’s, or since it’s 50 percentile should I not send it? Thanks for the help.

College list:
Northwestern
Cornell
Vanderbilt
Duke
Notre Dame
Wesleyan
Dartmouth
Boston College
Johns Hopkins

I believe they take about a week in business days to process them.

Do not send you 580. I wouldn’t risk the 730 either…50th percentile is pretty low. Especially for schools you’re applying for.

I was thinking the same thing since it’s 50th percentile I don’t think I’ll send it to the schools where I don’t have to. thanks for your opinion, I just needed some help solidifying my decision, so thanks

The colleges you list, like almost all colleges, have an online account with College Board into which CB puts all the trest scores, with the result that sending and receipt occur simulataneously, although, depending on college, it may take anywhere from a day to two weeks after receipt for the college to download all the scores and match them with aoplication files.

If you order scores sent December 22, there is good chance CB will send them before the end of the year but there is a risk they will not be sent until after the early January application deadlines.

All the schools you mention, except possibly Wesleyan, state that they accept the December SAT and December ACT for determining admission. That necessarily means they accept test scores that arrive after a Jan 1 application deadline since both tests even if ordered as soon as scores are released may arrive after a Jan 1 deadline, and for the ACT, some scores won’t even be out until after Jan 1. Many who take the writing section of the ACT do not get their writing scores until between a week and two weeks after section scores are released and ACT does not send any test scores, if you took the writing section, until after the writing score is released.

Wesleyan is diifferent only because it is now a test optional college and thus does not state whether the December tests are allowed or disallowed for admission. Weslayan has the weirdest test optional rule that applies anywhere. For determining admission you need submit no test scores although you can choose to send anything, but you are still required to submit either an SAT or ACT, and two subject tests, if you are admitted because they are used for placement, see http://www.wesleyan.edu/admission/apply/testing.html. In any event, it appears you are fine there if scores arrive a little after Jan 1 even if you want them used for admission.

Also be aware of what happens with most all colleges if your scores do not arrive in time for regular admission. About the end of Jan or ealy Feb, if the college still does not have your scores, it will send you a notice via mail or email that states it does not yet have your scores and if you want to be considered for admission, you must get them in promptly. In other words, despite the scores being that late, you get a second chance to provide them.

As to sending the particular subject tests scores, be aware that Cornell requires you to send all SAT and subject test scores for tests you have taken. With the others you list you can choose which scores to send. You might withhold the 580 on physics if you have two other better scores (colleges that require or recommend subject tests typically want to see two tests). You most definitely should send the 730 math 2 score. Percentiles are irrelvant to subject tests. Demonstrated proficiency is key and anything above a 700 shows that. If percentiles were key, thousands who score 800 on the SAT math 2 test would rightly be rejected by higher ranked colleges simply because that score is often only the 80th percentile.

wow, Thanks for all the information that was really helpful. So what you’re saying is as long as I have sent my scores before the application deadline Jan 1st or Jan 15th I should be okay?

Yes, if you order scores sent Dec 22 after your Dec scores are released, they will be timely for the colleges you list even if they are not delivered until after the application deadline.