SAT October 1st and Early Action

[tfc38z]

Hi

I am applying early SCEA and also taking the October 1st SAT. Can I wait to see my scores after they are released October 20th ish and then send them if they are good or do I have to send them directly before knowing what they are? I’ve heard it both ways. And if it helps I am applying to Yale early. Thanks!!

[gibby]

This from the College Board: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/scores/getting-scores

October 1 Test Day
Available to students beginning Oct. 27.
Sent to colleges beginning Oct. 26.

So, yes . . . you can see your scores on Oct 27 and send them (or not) to Yale on Oct 27/28. As SCEA applicants can also take the SAT test in November and have their scores count, it will not be a problem that your scores arrive slightly after the deadline of November 1st. There is no need to pay for rush-reporting.

That said, please read this from another of my posts . . .

Colleges place MORE value on a student’s GPA because it’s a 3-year window into a student’s scholastic potential, whereas an ACT/SAT score is only a 3-hour window into that same potential.

Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Stanford are all on record as saying “We don’t accept anyone in the SCEA round that we wouldn’t accept in the RD round.” That’s Admissions-speak for “We accept the best-of-the-best in the early round.”

If you are the best-of-the-best from your high school – meaning if you are academically ranked in the top 1% to 2% of all graduates from your HS class AND have top test scores – you SHOULD apply early somewhere. That’s true even without hooks, as the very tippy-top students stand a better chance of being scooped up in the SCEA round as they are showing demonstrated interest in one college by applying SCEA.

However, if you are ranked in the top 3% to 10% of your high school class – no matter what race, ethnicity or test scores – your application has more of chance of being deferred, as Admissions will want to compare your file to a larger application pool. So, think very carefully about applying SCEA.

[drusba]

For Yale, which even takes the November SAT for EA, and many others, you are fine waiting becasue the scores can arrive after Nov 1. There are a small number of colleges that actually require the scores to be in their hands by the Nov 1 application deadline (those tell you that on their sites) and waiting to order scores sent after scores are released may work and may not; it just depends on how fast College Board is processing send orders, many thousands of which usually come in the day scores are released (UIUC, one of those colleges, even warns that the October test may not arrive in time). If you want to assure the score gets to such colleges by Nov 1, you should designate the college in your test regidstration as one to receive scores automatically upon release (as one of your free sends). That results in the fastest form of delivery – scores are usually sent a day before you even get them on;line.