Hi!
Can anyone explain how score choice actually works because I previously thought I understood it, but now that I’m actually about to use it for the first time I’ve discovered something that really confuses me?!
So, on this page of the College Board (https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/scores/sending-scores/score-choice) at the top of the page it says ‘With Score Choice™, you can put your best foot forward by choosing which scores you send to colleges. Choose by test date for the SAT and by individual test for SAT Subject Tests…’ I also got this impression from the video, which appears to show them highlighting one maths score they did better on, and the Reading score they did better on two different test days.
BUT then later on the same page, under the FAQ ‘Can I choose which sections of my test scores to send to colleges?’ it says ‘No, you can’t choose to send your Math score from one test day and your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score from another test day. But some colleges use superscoring, which means they consider your highest section scores across multiple test dates. You can choose which scores to send by test date for the SAT, and by individual test for SAT Subject Tests. Scores from an entire SAT are sent.’
So, in short, I’m now confused – can anyone help clarify this?
Also, what happens if you wanted to use score choice for two test days – one with essay and one without essay – will the essay get sent? (I really bombed the essay )
Thanks in advance! 
For SAT: Score choice means you can choose which completes SAT tests to send. You don’t have to send all, but you do send all sections of that date. That includes the essay. For each test date, it’s all or nothing
Superscoring means the college takes the best section across multiple dates. So they take your best math regardless of date and best EBRW regardless of date. Usually, but not always, the college only superscore across the same type test. So they will not superscore your best math from a with essay test and your best EBRW from a non-essay test.
Except fir USMA, no college cares about the essay score anymore.
For Subject Tests, you can choose which scores to send, even if all weretaken on the same date.
Thanks for your response - this was super helpful!
I do think the video on the CB website is kind of misleading in light of this. Oh well.
Its super-reasuring about the essay though - I’ve heard this said elsewhere too.
Is there any way of telling which colleges superscore only across the same type of test?
Each college website should explain if/how they superscore.
Just from memory, I don’t recall superscoring across tests to be common. If you took the ACT and SAT multiple times, I believe schools will typically superscore each test and then use the concordance to choose the more favorable of the two.
I don’t agree with the above that they’d ignore a Math or EBRW section just because you did or didn’t take the essay. I believe they’ll take you best SAT Math section and best EBRW section from all submitted SAT tests, regardless of whether you took the essay on each.
The only exception to this used to be schools that required the Essay - they’d only use tests with the essay. But does anyone require the essay any more? Very few even look at it.
Other than looking at the websites of the colleges you are interested in? No.
@RichInPitt Okay this is some definite consolation that it possibly isn’t clear cut whether or not schools won’t superscore over an SAT with essay and SAT without essay.
@skieurope I did look at the websites of the schools I’m applying to and while they said they do superscore they didn’t give any clues about whether or not they do over with / without essay SATs.
Thank you both for your help - I’m an international applicant and don’t know anyone who knows in depth about the US application system, so I really appreciate your responses!
I’ve since sent my scores, and I’m so glad I wont have to think about CB ever again haha!
Along the way I got in a bit of a pickle over the difference between score choice and superscoring, but thankfully managed to resolve this with a quick google search. For anyone (particularly other int’l applicants) looking at this thread in the future, the website https://blog.prepscholar.com/sat-superscore-vs-score-choice-whats-the-difference#:~:text=Score%20Choice%20is%20the%20first,pieces%20of%20several%20different%20tests. helped clarify some of the CB’s website.