Hi
I heard that colleges hate the rush report ($31) because it goes through in a different system. Is it pretty much true?
There are many colleges that do not want rushed reports. In the past, rushed reports were in fact paper reports with basically only scores information on them that were mailed to colleges. It is during that time when the anti-rush rules were adopted by many colleges. However, five years ago, College Board ceased the mailing of rushed reports except to colleges that accepted only mailing of score reports (that was very few five years ago and it should be none now since CB charges colleges much more for mailed reports than it does for providing reports electronically via internet). CB began sending rushed reports via the same electronic method that most colleges had for regular reports and the score reports sent contained the same information as non-rushed reports.
Nevertheless, you still have colleges with a rule not to send rushed reports, mainly becaused they never bothered to reconsider their prior rule. Moreover, what CB does not tell you is that rush reporting really is not much faster than sending scores regular delivery – typically if you order scores sent rushed, they will be put the score report in the college’s account for download maybe up to one or two days faster than if you just order regular reports and very often the college does not even download immediately with the result that usually rushed reporting does not result in getting scores to colleges any faster than ordering regular reporting. If you actually want scores to get to colleges quicker than regular delivery, then when filling out your application to take the test, you should designate the colleges to which you want scores sent as soon as they come out – you can designate up to four without additonal charge. That results in your sending scores before you know what they are but it is the fastest form of delivery – the scores are actually put into the colleges’ accounts for download about two business days before they are even released to you online.
If you are still considering rush reporting for any college, then also be aware that for the vast majority of colleges the application deadline is not the deadline by which scores must be received and you can actually send them via regular delivery shortly after the application deadline and still be fine. There are some colleges that actually require scores to be in their hands by the application deadline – e.g., Illinois and Michigan by Nov 1 for early action.-- but those tell you that such is required on their sites.
It only save a couple days anyway.