Really confused about sending scores

Test Preparation
1

<p>I'm really confused and worried about sending my scores to colleges.</p>

<p>Assuming I become a Questbridge Finalist, I will be applying to four colleges by November 1st. I took my SATs in June and my Subject Tests in May, and I retook the SATs in October. I have it set up so that all of my SAT-related scores get sent to these four colleges as soon as the October scores come out. I took the ACT in June and I haven't sent in those scores to any of the four colleges. I am also scheduled to retake the ACT this October.</p>

<p>If I send my October scores in with the four free choices, does that also send the June scores (kind of like how the SAT does it)? I read online that this isn't the case, but I just want clarification.</p>

<p>If my materials are due November 1st, could I even set it to deliver my scores when the October scores come out (which will be after the deadline)?</p>

<p>Also, do I have to send my June ACT scores to colleges? I listed them on my application, and I've read somewhere that colleges require ALL SAT and ACT scores to be sent. I've also read that some colleges refuse to accept applicants who don't send in all of their scores. In order to send my ACT scores to these four colleges, I would have to pay 40 dollars. Then, when regular decision comes around, I'm going to have to spend at least 30 more dollars to send the June ACT scores, and then I'll have to pay to send out my October ACT scores and additional SAT reports. Along with this and sending out CSS profiles, applications I don't get fee waivers for, and anything else I might have to pay for to apply to college, there is no way I'm going to be able to pay for all of this.</p>

<p>If I don't have to send out my ACT scores, would it be worth it to send them? I got a 2270 (670, 800, 800) on the SAT and 800 Physics, 790 Math 2, and 760 U.S. History on the Subject Tests. I also got a 33 (35E, 36M, 30R, 32S, 10W) ACT score. If I improve my reading with my October SAT scores, the 33 ACT wouldn't seem like much. If I improve my reading significantly enough, would it even be worth it to take the October ACT? Should I just cancel that if I do well enough on this SAT?</p>

<p>Thanks so much for any advice I receive. I'm getting really freaked out about the college process.</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>College Board/SAT rule: whenever you order one SAT score sent it automatically sends all scores it has for you, SAT and SAT II, unless you intentionally exercise score choice to prevent one or more from being sent.</p></li>
<li><p>ACT rule: it sends only the one test ordered. Your free sends for your Oct test apply only to the Oct test score. To send earlier test score requires a separate send and separate fee for each college per test.</p></li>
<li><p>Whether you have to submit all scores depends on college, so name the four you are talking about.</p></li>
<li><p>If SAT CR score rises with Oct test, then there would be no reason to retake ACT or send prior ACT, unless college requires all to be sent.</p></li>
</ol>

3

<p>Thank you for clarifying. I can’t seem to figure out how to determine if a college requires all SAT/SAT II/ACT scores to be sent. Through Questbridge I would be applying to Stanford, Princeton, Yale, and MIT. Other colleges I am considering include Cornell, Duke, Brown, UPenn, University of Rochester, and Syracuse University. I know that College Board specifies what a student needs to take, but I don’t know exactly what scores need to be directly sent to a college if I list them on the Questbridge/Common App/MyMIT application.</p>

4

<p>The problem is that schools have a variety of different rules and they are not always clearly presented. Here is what I know from their sites and from conversations with admissions officers from some of them </p>

<p>Princeton, MIT, Rochester, Brown, and Duke do not require you to send all scores so you can choose to send whichever you want.</p>

<p>Stanford requires all official SATs if you send any. For ACT, you can send one official score as long as you list any other ACT test scores on your application. You don’t have to send any SATs if you are relying on ACT and vice versa. Sor SAT IIs, you can choose the ones you want to send.</p>

<p>Yale and Upenn are colleges that accept for admission either the ACT, or alternatively, the SAT plus two SAT IIs. If you send ACT, Yale requires one official score with other ACT test scores to be listed on application; if you send SAT and SAT IIs, you must send all official scores. Penn requires all official ACT scores if you send one or all SATs and SAT IIs if you send those.</p>

<p>Cornell requires all official ACT scores if you send ACT. You can choose to just go with the SAT and send all of them. It also requires all SAT II scores.</p>

<p>Syracuse neither requires nor uses SAT IIs for admission. It requires all SAT scores if you are relying on SAT but only one official ACT score if relying on it.</p>

5

<p>Thank you. That helps a ton.</p>

<p>If I am relying on my SAT and list my ACT score without directly sending my ACT scores to the colleges, will my ACT score be taken into consideration when evaluating my application?</p>

<p>It seems that you are implying that I don’t necessarily have to send my ACT scores to any college, even if I list them on my application, because I plan to rely on my SAT score. Am I correct in thinking this?</p>

<p>Would it help my chances of getting into any of these colleges if I did send my ACT score, even if it isn’t required?</p>

6

<p>For the ones you list you can send SAT and SAT IIs and not send an official ACT. It will not be considered for admission if all you do is list it on app and do not send send offical scores because those colleges use only the offical scores from the testing agency to determine admission. If you send official SATs and ACTs then what will happen is that the college will determine which it believes is better for you and use that one to determine admission. So it will not hurt to send ACT score and might help if the college believes your ACT score is higher than your SAT, although as high as your SAT is makes that result questionable.</p>

7

<p>I’m trying to minimize costs. Would it even be worth it to send my ACT score if I don’t have to? I’d say my SAT/SAT II is much better than my ACT score, and I probably shouldn’t even retake the ACT. This has helped so much. Thanks.</p>