I’m a senior applying to schools now. I just took the ACT and want to use the free score reports. However, some of the schools I haven’t started their application yet. Would they still keep and somehow match my score to my file later? I have heard of sophomores and juniors sending scores because of the free scores but I wasn’t sure how that worked. Can I send the scores now or do I have to wait to finish the apps first?
Not a problem. They’ll match up your scores.
@TestRekt @yellowjeans Is there some way to check after I send my scores and app to make sure they have received and matched up my scores?
Also, some of the schools allow score choice. Should I wait to send my ACT score if I’m not sure that it will be higher than my SAT? My superscored SAT is a 1510 and I’m worried it will look bad if I send an ACT that was taken after that and it ended up being lower. Do colleges truly only look at your highest score or could a bad ACT be held against me? I used one free report on a school that requires all scores, and two on safeties where even if my ACT is lower it will be well above their average. Not sure if I should send it to my match schools yet where my SAT is at the 75th percentile and I’m not sure if my ACT will beat that.
Yes, colleges always look at ways to accept you ie your highest scores
I would look at the scores first. If the $12 per score report poses a financial difficulty for you, check if you qualify for those fee waivers?
Should I be sending scores right away for EA schools with Nov 1 deadlines?
From a timing standpoint, you shouldn’t have a problem waiting for your ACT scores and then sending them to EA schools (last year was an exception because of ACT’s inability to grade the revised essay). Other than maybe checking one more thing off your list, there is no advantage to getting colleges the scores Oct 1 versus Oct 25.
Most colleges will have some sort of online tracking tool for you to monitor your application.
They do this for a living. 
Matching up scores is standard procedure and often automated.