Lets get this cleared up once and for all

<p>Score choice. As we all know, certain schools chose not recognize score choice and have policies against it including: Cornell, the UCs, Yale, CMU, etc.</p>

<p>However, it has already been stated on these forums that these schools have no way of finding out whether or not a student has used score choice. </p>

<p>Firstly, why would a school implement a rule that that themselves cannot enforce?</p>

<p>Secondly do schools have the ability to see through score choice?</p>

<p>What are the ramifications of using score choice (not including rejection, how ever this should be discusses)? Can legal charges be pressed?</p>

<p>Can universities collude to help each other catch out people who go against their policies? (I know, far fetched :P, but worth discussion)</p>

<p>Do universities that claim to "superscore" really do so? (I have some anecdotal evidence to prove they do not- however the subjectivity of the application process may render my information pointless)</p>

<p>I have heard stories about people getting into Unis which do not accept score choice without actually submitting all scores. Not taking into account issues of ethics and integrity, is this really possible? Or am I hearing the words of trolls (please don't respond to this last part, its rhetorical).</p>

<p>Collegeboards stance on this is that no school can really "opt out" of score choice. </p>

<p>I would rather people do no speculate on this thread. I encourage readers to provide anecdotal evidence on their experiences with score choice, and/or official information.</p>

<p>This thread should be useful for CCers to determine the extent to which score choice can really ameliorate ones application, without taking into account the moral issues surrounding score choice.</p>

<p>I would rather people do not purposely try to find rationale or justification to deceive the schools that ask you in very simple and plain language to send all the standardized test scores, and simply fill out the application with honesty and integrity and let everything falls where they may.</p>

<p>I’m already in school and this thread is not for my personal benefit.</p>

<p>I was discussing this with friends a few weeks ago and I was wondering what the CC community thought.</p>

<p>Also it should help out college going youngsters.</p>

<p>Bump…</p>

<p>Bump again…</p>

<p>scorechoice ftw!</p>

<p>Well first of all, colleges aren’t stupid. If a kid scored highest on the October SAT of his senior year, after taking it twice, and sends that score in only, then the college will probably assume he took it in march, may, and/or june.</p>

<p>I think colleges do superscore. I’m pretty sure Cornell does at least. I got into the college of engineering with a 800 in math for SAT I and a 780 in Math II, even though I previously scored a 560 on Math I SAT II and 700 on math SAT I. I sent in all my scores.</p>

<p>Wow haha thats a crazy jump !!! </p>

<p>I went from 1950 to 2070 to 2120, when did you take the SAT in which you got 560? Was it for Duke TIP or something, because generally 560—> 800 is miraculous.</p>

<p>Nope! I took the Math I SAT subject test june of my sophomore year, scored a 560, then took the Math II exam 1 year later and scored a 780, along with an 800 in math sat I.</p>

<p>“Firstly, why would a school implement a rule that that themselves cannot enforce?”</p>

<p>Though it is true that if you exercise score choice College Board sends nothing to indicate you took the test, you should not assume you are out of the woods. Many high schools put all your scores on your official high school transcript that is sent to colleges. As to why colleges adopted an “all scores” position, most that did so just followed the lead of many of the high ranked colleges that adopted the policy, which colleges did so primarily because they are elitist institutions and had an apoplexy when CB had the audacity to adopt something they did not like. They tried to explain their position by asserting it is helpful to know how many tests you take, but it was interesting when the same version of the same explanation appeared on the websites of a group of high ranked colleges within days of each other and months after CB adopted score choice, indicating they got together to concoct a uniform explanation.</p>

<p>“Secondly do schools have the ability to see through score choice?”</p>

<p>Again, heed the warning above that your high school’s official transcript may be your snitch. Otherwise, They usually cannot conclude that you took a test you did not send. I say “usually” because some things could tip them off; for example there are a few states that require all high school students to take the SAT test in spring of junior year and if that test does not show up, they will know. </p>

<p>“What are the ramifications of using score choice (not including rejection, however this should be discusses)? Can legal charges be pressed?”</p>

<p>It is not a criminal offense. However, the college can treat the failure to supply all test scores as a misrepresentation in your application due to intentionally withholding required information, which means, depending on when they learn the truth, that they can legally deny admission, withdraw any admission given, or just before you are about to graduate from college, they can expel you and withhold any degree. Will a college do any of those things? Highly questionable. To date there have been no public reports of someone being disciplined by a college for having withheld scores. </p>

<p>“Can universities collude to help each other catch out people who go against their policies? (I know, far fetched :P, but worth discussion)”</p>

<p>Colleges can talk to each other generally but they cannot legally (see, for example, FERPA) be passing around information as to whether a student has withheld scores even if they knew and they cannot exchange information in particular applicant’s files concerning actual test scores provided. Moreover, why would they bother to go to all that expense in time and money, and where would they find the time to even do it while they are trying to review and decide thousands of application files in a short period of time. </p>

<p>“Do universities that claim to “superscore” really do so? (I have some anecdotal evidence to prove they do not- however the subjectivity of the application process may render my information pointless)”</p>

<p>Colleges which claim to supersore do. Many colleges (including most public universities) do not superscore but instead use that test with highest composite. The issue of course is whether one can say that every file reviewer at every college consciously follows that rule and does not consider lower scores against a student. If they consider lower scores they are going against the college’s publicly stated policy. Of course, public officals and bureaucrats never do disobey policy and always act in the interests of their citizens or customers (I can also sell you the Brooklyn Bridge). </p>

<p>“I have heard stories about people getting into Unis which do not accept score choice without actually submitting all scores. Not taking into account issues of ethics and integrity, is this really possible? Or am I hearing the words of trolls (please don’t respond to this last part, its rhetorical).” </p>

<p>Undoubtedly, there are students who withhold scores, despite the college’s rule against it, that get admitted. Believing otherwise would require you to believe that there have never been any high school students who have purloined music free off the internet. </p>

<p>“College boards stance on this is that no school can really “opt out” of score choice.”</p>

<p>And the colleges’ response has been who the heck are you to tell us what to do. The College Board is not a legislature or a police force and has no power to force colleges to accept score choice. CB’s statement is there mainly to emphasize that it will not be the one to squeal on you. Moreover, though it is a subtle point, what the colleges say is they do not support score choice and demand that you send “all scores.” That is semantically different from saying you are prohibited from exercising score choice.</p>

<p>“Can universities collude to help each other catch out people who go against their policies? (I know, far fetched :P, but worth discussion)”</p>

<p>Plausible, since colleges do exchange application lists to prevent people from EDing to multiple schools.</p>

<p>You have to be very foolish to think that you can trick an elite, 300 year institution.</p>

<p>Not abiding by the testing policies of that university is the same as lying on your application. You can be kicked out if you get accepted, or your degree rescinded if you graduate. You can also be blacklisted. There might be legal issues.</p>

<p>You tell 'em physicsboy. Not to mention that a student’s application is typically scrutinized by 3 (or more) separate admissions committees. Plus, did it cross anyone’s mind that this policy is probably now being publicly enforced because they’ve grown tired of wasting time with this sappy scam? They didn’t decide to announce this out of a clear blue sky.</p>

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<p>Actually, not saying the sketchy, illegal, or ‘wrong’ stuff you did in your life on a college application is lying. If you don’t mention how you lied to your parents several times, cheated on a test, or if you partied a lot and got hella drunk, you are technically “withholding” information. They wouldn’t want someone like that, so if you don’t put that on your application, you are a liar.</p>

<p>Your statement is irrational.</p>

<p>No one, including the Collegeboard, can make you give away your private information, noting that colleges cannot “opt” out of score choice and that the Collegeboard cannot send your scores without your permission. It is your information, so you have every right to do what you want with your scores according to the Collegeboard, but you are encouraged, for your integrity, to submit all (there’s no real reason not to).</p>

<p>“You have to be very foolish to think that you can trick an elite, 300 year institution.”</p>

<p>I find this comment particularly amusing simply because, these “300 year old” institutions you refer to are run by normal human beings just like you and me.</p>

<p>Contrary to popular belief, adcoms don’t posses foresight and cannot see through lies and deception by mysterious, obscure means. </p>

<p>Please don’t portray universities as being all knowing and all powerful. As much I’d like to believe otherwise, the Great Eye of Sauron only exists in JRR Tolkeins fantasy realm.</p>

<p>Also, as you can see I am already in University and back in my day (when score choice was a new concept), nobody really thought to utilize it.</p>

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<p>If score choice is “illegal”, then why does CB allow it? And how the hell could they ever find out anyway?</p>

<p>Im talking about using score choice for a college that dosen’t allow it. Doing that is the same as lying on your application. At the end of your application you partake in an agreement that everything you listed is valid.</p>