I just sent my ACT scores I took in October (and requested for December to be sent), and sent previous SAT scores along with requesting for November and December scores to be sent as well. Approximately how long will it take for the College Board/ACT to process this request and colleges to receive score reports? I ordered my old SAT scores first and then made another request for the future dates, will they send those separately or did I just waste money?
ACT typically sends scores electronically within a week after an order for the test if test scores are already available (but be aware that if you have your section scores but took the optional essay and do not yet have your essay score, nothing will be sent until essay scores are released).
If you ordered prior SAT tests sent and paid a fee to do so, they will likely be sent within a week after the order. If for any given Sat test date, such as November or December, you identify a college in your test registration as one to automatically recieve scores upon release (as one of your free sends), then the scores will most likely be sent the day before you get them online.
Starting this year, CB now requires all colleges to have electronic delivery of SAT scores. That means “sending” consists of CB placing the scores into an online account the college has with CB with the result that receipt of the scores offically occurs the same day as they are sent. However, colleges vary as to how fast they download those scores and match them with your online application file, and the time for doing so ranges among colleges from a day to almost two weeks, but that delay in processing the scores does not change the fact that “receipt” occured as soon as CB put the scores into the college’s online file.
Just one correction to the above: CB now requires colleges to have electronic delivery of scores unless they specifically request to instead have paper delivery, which of course takes longer. I do not know if any college still insists on paper delivery, which under CB’s costs structures would cost the college a lot more to have than electronic delivery.