<p>"Officials with the College Board, which administers the test, said it will take at least a year before they will have a large enough sample to provide comparison data, including average scores and percentile information, to the public.</p>
<p>For now, they urged people to resist the urge to draw parallels between scores on the 1600 scale with the new 2400 scale. Caren Scoropanos, a College Board spokeswoman, said students can compare their scores on the verbal and math portions with those from previous exams. But the essay, because it's new, would have to stand alone, she said.</p>
<p>In the meantime, college admissions officers are wrestling with how they will use the new scores, particularly on the written portion. Georgetown University and the University of Maryland said they will look only at verbal and math scores this year, until they have more experience with the essay section. Howard University officials said they are trying to determine how they will use the writing section.</p>
<p>Harvard University and the University of California system have said they will look at the entire test -- writing section included.</p>
<p>University of Virginia officials also will count all sections of the new SAT in admissions decisions. But John A. Blackburn, dean of admission at U-Va., said the college will be as "skeptical as ever" about the test and not consider it a major factor in decisions" <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...1301913_pf.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...1301913_pf.html</a></p>