<p>My daughter is taking her first SAT this Saturday. She only has a vague idea of where she may be applying next year. Is it a good idea to list those schools, or list any reaches, matches, safeties? What is the best way to handle this? Thanks.</p>
<p>Do not send the scores to selective colleges she is really interested in until you see the scores. She may get middling scores on the SAT and ace the ACT and wish she had never sent those SAT scores out.</p>
<p>(Some people might say it is okay to save money in the long run by using this as an opportunity to send free scores to a few safety schools. That is probably okay.)</p>
<p>Agree with my dear friend, MM2K. Sight unseen, I’d only send the scores to safeties.</p>
<p>I think the answer depends a little. For our oldest, who was a NMF and had taken the SATs in middle school we decided to take colleges at their word that they only looked at the best scores. We were pretty confident that his scores would be very good as well. He took the SATs twice and scores were almost identical. (Went up all of 10 points in math.) However he took SAT in May not March.</p>
<p>We followed the MM2K approach–waited to see how the ACT vs. SAT scores looked.</p>
<p>If she’s a good test taker, based on her PSAT, there is no harm in sending the scores to safety or match schools - i.e., a state school where she will make an early application next year. For the match schools, sending the scores will “open a file” for her, and you may see their level of interest increase. In most cases, she will be retaking the SAT early senior year, or trying the ACT, so there’s no harm - whatever score she gets is “correctable.”</p>
<p>Pros- can’t think of any
Cons- might not have score you want sent.</p>
<p>I advise you wait to see scores, re-take if u think it will help; then send best scores out selectively.</p>