Scores are out! So do schools really superscore?
1 Like
Question of the day, isnāt it? But I believe the answer is yes. Always makes you wonder if itās just for a few points.
How did it go?
almost the same score, but english is up 30 points and math down 20. His superscore is therefore higher than either by 30 points. My other quesiton is if you just send one does he send the 10 point lower one that was taken in august before junior year? Do the schools look at the date of the test?
2 Likes
Not all schools super score. I think itās a good idea to check directly with each college to make sure.
4 Likes
It really depends on the school. Most of the schools my D applied to just requested a self reported score - so you just plug in the highest for each and and the date - and you donāt have to submit proof until enrollment.
Princeton, for example, requires an official score report, but you choose the test dates (Score Choice) and they will consider the highest section in each.
Georgetown requires all tests taken to be submitted, but will also superscore.
Scholarships may have different requirements too.
You should definitely superscore for 30 points.
FWIW, our schoolās SCOIR (naviance) automatically shows a superscore.
3 Likes
All of the schools we are considering superscore. I confirmed on their websites
We did school day SAT in April and D24 is taking it again in August. I will go ahead and use our 4 free score reports that you have before you know the score, and then we can still submit the first one if needed. She will be applying with the first score. I donāt think we are going test optional with a 1430 where sheās applying, but we might as well use the free score reports since we know sheās submitting scores.
1 Like
Looks like the ivys and little ivys that S24 is looking at for ed also superscore so that is great!
1 Like
This was most of our college list. Almost all were self-reported.
1 Like
Verify if itās self report. If it is you can save your free reports until itās needed.
4 Likes
The problem is that you only have 9 days to use your free reports. So you have to use them before you get the score. At least thatās what I recall reading when we registered. We will self-report the prior score, but I really donāt care for the limits they place on the ones included with the test registration.
Just want to add if you took the test at school, your score might be posted on your transcript. And therefore the college might just use that and no need to request an official report. I understand that wonāt help if you want to send multiple test to superstore but if you miss the free report deadline on a single test date it might save you money.
S24 finally got his SAT result this afternoon. Score went up by 60 points, all in math. 
The reading/writing section was exactly the same as his October test.
Weāre all happy with the score, and felt like he needed a strong one since he is homeschooled to validate his grades. (In fact, several colleges we have looked in to that are test optional are NOT test optional for homeschooled students.)
Iām so glad that is one item he can check off as done, and move on to focusing on the dozens of other application tasks. 
9 Likes
My son got his score back today. He raised it to 1520 (10 points higher than March) - 740R/W and 780M. I feel like this is an excellent score and would/should be submittable anywhere.
Are we really in a place where this kind of score is too low for some places? His list includes some top schools. Brown & Pomona are two of his top choices.
2 Likes
Looking at their websites, that appears to be right around the median for Pomona among admitted students who reported a score. For Brown, maybe a little lower than that but above their 25%.
I note I personally think in a stabilized test-optional world, people should not be too concerned about submitting test scores in the 25-49 range. Test optional logically means the lower end of the range will likely get trimmed as people with sub-25 scores opt out. But this means the 25 mark would likely move up toward the former 50, and for that matter the former 50 would move up toward 75. But that doesnāt mean those people with scores which used to rank higher are necessarily becoming less competitive.
Brown in fact illustrates this. Currently they say their middle 50 percent of admitted students scored between 1500 and 1570 (a 70 point gap).
Thanks to the Wayback machine, I can tell you two years ago it was 1480 to 1560 (an 80 point gap).
Digging farther, circa 2017 (which I believe is before the test-optional era for Brown, and obviously lots of others) it was apparently 1460 to 1570 (a 110 point gap).
OK, so as expected the 75 number isnāt really moving around meaningfully, but the gap is closing as the 25 moves up, and presumably the median too. But that is what we should be expecting simply from lower-score applicants opting out.
To me this means that even though a 1520 may now be (slightly) below the median for Brown, it likely is no less good for Brown admissions than back when it was right around the median a couple years ago, or above the median back when Brown was not test-optional.
Of course this should just be part of the analysis. The fundamental question is whether you would prefer being evaluated with a combination of your test scores and grades/transcript, or just your grades/transcript. So having a (realistic) assessment of what your grades/transcript will look like is part of the the analysis too.
Still, when discussing this issue, admissions officers tend to agree that it is hard for them to really pin down the exact value of grades, at least for high schools they are not very familiar with. And so if your test scores can be used to ācorroborateā what your grades are saying, that can provide them with assurance that you do in fact count as well-qualified academically by their standards.
So, I personally donāt think that creates a really high bar for submitting scores in the 25-49 range in the test optional world. If you actually think your grades/transcript story would get diluted by that, you can still opt out. But I think in many cases, test scores in that range, in a test optional world, would serve as corroboration of very good grades instead.
And obviously a lot of kids are getting admitted doing just that.
8 Likes
I really appreciate your detailed and thorough response. Interesting look back at how the lower 25% has increased over the years.
1 Like
Total agree a 1520 should be submitted. If it is within the range of the schools 25-75% and weāll within then it absolutely should be submitted. My S24 took the test again this time just to see if he could get a few more points but there was never a question that he would submit to schools with a 1530. If everyone keeps submitting only within the range every year the range will creep up and eventually the scores needed will be completely unreachable.
When I did the free score sends for S22, I was able to send the old score as well as the one he had just taken. So I sent the highest and the current unknown and both went for free.
I totally forgot to send scores when D24 took it in April. Iām a bit irritated by that! She has a score that will be completely good for most places. Grr.
2 Likes
As long as weighted gpa went up that is fine. UW GPA getting lower because of increasing rigor is somewhat expected.
1 Like
My S21 had 2 Cās in Sophomore year (some other challenges). Then he had a great upward streak (perfect GPA), a high profile job where his employer gave him a great reccomendation. He got in to a selective LAC in the northeast.
We thought his prospects were finished when he got the 2 C+s.
This is to say dont feel discouraged.
3 Likes
Congratulations to your son! And thanks for the encouragement! My older daughter was a straight A, high stats kid, who is currently at an Ivy League so the college search process search for my second is going to be very different!
1 Like