SAT score sending confusion

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>Hello</p>

<p>I have tried to understand the thread about sending SAT scores to colleges, but I am still confused, and I have some questions. </p>

<p>I am applying early action (not early decision) to two colleges, and I want these colleges to see my October 6th SAT 1 score. I know that I have until OCT 15th to make changes, but the score from yesterday's SAT is released only on the 25th. My question is, if I put the 2 early action colleges on the score recipient list by the 15th, will they (my early action colleges) see my October 6th score and my May 5th score or just the May 5th score?</p>

<p>Also, depending on the October 6th score, I might take the SAT one last time in December (subjects in November). Am I right in thinking that IF I take the December test, the Early Action colleges will automatically get them as well? Also, 4 regular decisions schools will get all my SAT scores I have ever received? If I don't take the December test, do I have to pay to send my OCT 6th scores to the 4 regular decisions schools? Sorry if this is confusing, but I am confused as well.Thanks</p>

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<p>Assuming early action deadline for receipt of apps is November 1, yes the colleges will receive your Oct 6 test result since it will be mailed electronically by Oct 25. If you take any additional test in Nov/Dec they too will be available to both early and reg decision colleges with one difference: the early colleges will receive these scores after they have made the early action decision but will use them if you are deferred in their reg decision. Does this help?</p>

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<p>Yes this helps thanks. But one thing. You said they are mailed electronically. I just put one of my early action colleges on the "receive score" list and it said it will be mailed, not emailed. Will this mean that college won't see my oct 6 score?</p>

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<p>They are all electronically transmitted. There is some sort of electronic access that the College Board has with the colleges. However, there is a distinct chance the Oct score won't be "looked at". This is how it goes: Assume the score gets transmitted October 27. The University system (electronic tape or whatever) has still to be coded into your reader card. If your first reader grabs your folder on November 2 and the test data is not in, he/she will probably write a notation for the second reader but go with the result that is in, that is, if you have already taken the SAT once before. If the second reader catches the Oct 27 result let's say on November 17 or so, you are in good shape. But due to human error and rush and carelessness, it may not happen, in which case everything goes into the regular round. It may well be that on December 12 when and if your file goes to committee someone will remark, let's check if this guy has sent in a late score and they may catch it but only if you are borderline, if not it would be a reject or admit or deferral. One score won't make a difference. </p>

<p>My S went thru this nightmare last year, got acceptances in to most ivies except HYP, all other 5, now at Columbia and I am glad to be of help. Thanks.</p>

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<p>Hi, I'm new to the forum. I took the SAT on Oct 6th and it was the 1st time I've taken it. The score sending service is a bit confusing to me: </p>

<p>I've registered for 3 SATs in Oct, Nov and Dec (well I just registered for the Dec SAT just in case either my Oct (SAT I) or Nov (SAT II) is unsatisfactory. I'm not sure if it's a smart move, but anw it's another matter. I'm applying to about 15 colleges, and the CB will only send my scores to 4 colleges for free. So at the cost of $9.95 per additional college recipient, I'll have to pay 9.95<em>11</em>3 = 328.35 (bucks) in order to send the scores of my 3 SATs to the other 11 colleges which I'm applying to. I mean...</p>

<p>WHAT? More than 300 bucks just to SEND the scores?</p>

<p>Correct me if I miscalculated or misunderstood anything (I hope that i did)!</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

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<p>I also have a question about this...I took the Oct 6th test and am deciding whether or not to cancel (I've taken them twice). If I send my scores NOW, as in today...will the Oct 6th be reported automatically? Or not until the 15th? Thanks</p>

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<p>What do you want to cancel? U mean u don't want yout Oct SAT score to be seen by ur college? I don't think it's possible.</p>

<p>Hey, my above question... anyone?</p>

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<p>To cancel the Oct 6 test admin please folllow the CB guidelines re cancellation, that is, the dates given. I have forgotten how it works but roughly, you have a certain grace period to cancel. I think it may be 48 hours. If you send the scores now, Today, the Oct 6 score will not be automatically reported. The logic is simple: let us say you send the score today, will the test taken in 2008 April be reported? Of course not. The reason: every time you send you will have to pay a fee.</p>

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<p>So I do have to pay more than 300 dollars to send all my scores to the other colleges as in the situation I've mentioned above?</p>

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<p>You are not clear if you are retaking SAT 1 or SAT 2 (cannot do both on same day etc) in Nov, Dec, etc. But it does not matter. When you order scores to be sent, at any time, you send 4 free. After that you pay. Let us say you want Oct scores sent to 10 colleges; you pay for 6. Let us say you want Nov SAT 2 scores sent to 15 you pay for 11 and so on.</p>

<p>The principle is: whenever you write down the college code etc on the send forms, first four alone free. Yes, it costs a huge deal. My son applied to 15 last year, got 5 rejects. With 2350 SAT and 5s on 10 AP tests it was touch and go and this year is expected to be more difficult, so I would definitely consider the money well spent. I would apply to 20. It is coming down to playing the odds. Also choose the early college very carefully, that's your best shot.</p>

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<p>Thank you so much for your reply! I will be taking SAT II in Nov. I also registered to take SAT II in Dec since when I made my registrations in August, I thought the subject test would cause me more troubles. But if my Oct SAT I comes out to be unsatisfactory, I'll have to contact the CB to change the test type.</p>

<p>OK, so from your given advice, this is what I think I'm gonna do: For now, fill in my 4 free options with my 4 safety colleges (since I have no idea what score I will get, I wouldn't want my top choices to see my low scores, rite?). Then after the Dec SAT result comes out, I can order which scores to be sent to which colleges at the price of 9.95 per report.</p>

<p>Any advice on that? Do u think it's a smart move?</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

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<p>A small problem with this. Let us say you send your presumably less than satisfactory scores to your safety colleges. Then, at later testing you score around the same or slightly higher, what will you do? Won't send the scores to your top choices at all? I would recommend you take the tests a few times and then send scores to all your colleges. It doesn't matter if your top colleges see your lower scores, the technical staff will only input your highest scores, your reader may not even see the lower scores and if they do, they will only use highest scores since it is to their reporting advantage for US News purposes. The scores are only one aspect of the selection process so I will not recommend eliminating top colleges because you think the scores may be low. Let them decide. They may be selecting on the basis of a wide array of characteristics and your presumably lower score may not matter to them at all.</p>

<p>Pick 15 to 18 even 20 colleges. Do not skimp on the fees. Too much is at stake.</p>

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<p>Thank you for your reply! I see ur point there, but it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Of course I will have to send my scores to all of my colleges. Let me see if I can clarify my situation here:</p>

<p>a/ There're deadlines for me to fill in the 4 free options. After the deadline, all score reports will be charged at the usual rate.
b/ My testing schedule goes like this:
Oct: SAT I
Nov: SAT II
Dec: Not sure - either SAT I or II (Largely depends on Oct SAT I score)</p>

<p>Put it simply: The deadline to update my score recipient is Oct 15th. So if I ONLY fill in my 4 free choices by Oct 15, would I still be able to come back and add more colleges in December?</p>

<p>I'm an international student and this is the 1st time I've taken the SAT, so the system is a bit confusing to me.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

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<p>Let's say your 4 colleges are SUNY, UW Madison, U of Arkansas and U of South Dakota. I am making this up. Then you come back and want to add 11 colleges in December. Yes, you can submit additional requests: once again the first 4 will be free and you will pay for 7. Is this clear? That is ,every time you take a test the test fee covers 4 free mailings (electronic transmissions). Hope this helps.</p>

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<p>Thank you!</p>

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<p>Who says apply to 20 schools? I can't believe you're sitting there giving the worst advice possible out on CC. Apply to 20 schools? Are you aware that the schools talk with each other and see what other schools you apply to? I am honestly ashamed that you would say apply to 15-20 schools. The schools communicate with each other and will see that you are not solely interested in their school and you won't get into A LOT of them. Honestly....that comment really disappoints me. My friend applied to 20 schools because he really wanted to go out of state, and he got rejected by 15 of those schools; thus, he had to stay in state. </p>

<p>20 schools...........are you serious?</p>

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<p>First to an earlier post: regular action colleges will see all your scores. If you send your scores today, if you don't cancel oct 6 and have paid for them, that too will be reported. Oct 6 scores, if not cancelled, will be seen after release on Oct 25. No, if you later apply to reg decision colleges, the early ones won't automatically get Nov/Dec scores unless you pay to report them again.</p>

<p>Now to Easton: there are 2 schools of thought. One says, and I respect that, that one should research schools so thoroughly that one has matches and more thorough the search the better the chances and fewer the schools one applies to. This school also says your essays etc will be better prepared if you have a few targeted schools.</p>

<p>When my son applied last year, I chose (yes I did over the school counselor's advice at a leading New England prep school) the option of a large no of schools, 15. The results speak for themselves: my son is the only one at this school who had max acceptances, max Ivy acceptances even over legacies.
No, the schools do not talk to each other. Another urban myth based on someone who claims to have worked in the admissions offices. After my son got accepted at numerous Ivies, as almost a condition of accepting the offer I wrote to several college presidents, Ivy presidents, and asked to meet with their admissions directors and go over the process of admissions in a confidential manner. I am sorry to disillusion you but except in the case of some athletes and a rare mutliple science Olympiad winner and some RSIs (because Harvard-MIT share some RSI staff/faculty) and some Telluride students they do not talk to one another.</p>

<p>This year is going to be very very very difficult, I strongly advise students to enlarge no of apps.</p>

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<p>Actually, ramaswami is not quite correct. You don't get another 4 free. You get four free with the registration. If you then come back in December and add your 11 other colleges without taking a December test (not including the ones you've already sent for free), you will have to pay for all 11 of those colleges. However, remember that if you do that, the 4 you sent in October will not receive your December scores - they're not automatically updated.</p>

<p>To make it concrete:
In October, you send your scores for free to SUNY, UW Madison, U of Arkansas and U of South Dakota. They get all the scores for all the tests you've taken, including October's.</p>

<p>In November, you decide to send your scores to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Swarthmore and Williams. You have to pay for all 5 score reports.</p>

<p>In December, you take another test and put University of Florida, Grinnell, Rochester and Vassar as your four free recipients. They get all your scores, including October's.</p>

<p>You then decide to send your December test scores to Dartmouth, UCLA, Macalaster and Beloit. You have to pay for those four. They get all your scores, including October's.</p>

<p>Now, please note that SUNY, UW Madison, U of Arkansas, U of South Dakota, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Swarthmore and Williams will not receive your December tests unless you re-send your score report to them and pay for them.</p>

<p>Does this make sense?</p>

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<p>chadva, you have summarized all this superbly. I did not mean to say you get the first four free again but I can see how I was taken when I wrote "that too" etc. Thanks for the correction. But all this is so elementary I am surprised applicants need explanation. It is fairly clear.</p>

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<p>ramaswami, if the schools do not talk with each other, then every single student out there has a chance of being rejected by all the colleges that they apply to...that's blown extremely out of proportion. Have you worked in the admission office? Have you spoken with each and every admission(er) from every school? If you have, then I still stand by my word, but I assume you haven't.
Schools won't screw you over. They DO communicate with each other. They do make sure that you get accepted at least to one place or another.</p>