Sending Scores to Colleges

Hello Everyone!

So I took the October SAT and awaiting for my result which will come out on Oct. 27th, however, the deadline to make use of free reporting is tomorrow, ie, Oct 10th. Moreover, I have also registered for SAT Subject Test for November where the deadline to send scores is November 14th. So I was confused whether am I supposed to send the SAT and SAT subject scores separately or they can be sent together using one score report. If I use one score report, would my SAT 1 scores be submitted on time meaning before Nov. 1st or would they be sent when both scores (SAT and SAT Subject Test) come out.

Please respond ASAP as the deadline is tomorrow. Thank you so much!

In additon to your questions your post raises some other issues, so I will try to cover them all:

It sounds like you are intending to apply to a college either for early decision or early action that has a Nov 1 application deadline. If so, you need to check the specific college’s rules for sending test scores. Most with a Nov 1 app deadline accept test scores that arrive after Nov 1 and you would be safe waiting for your Oct SAT scores to be released before ordering them sent. Many of those even accept Nov SAT test scores, although many do not, so your Nov subject tests will be considered only if the college is one that accepts Nov tests for ED or EA.

There are some colleges that actually require scores to be in their hands by Nov 1 to be considered for their early program, e.g., both Michigan and UIUC are in that group. For those colleges, the safe course is to identify the college in your test registration as one to receive scores upon release by tomorrow Oct 10. That is the fastest form of delivery and scores are actually sent electronically to the colleges a day or two before you even get them online. If you wait until you get the scores online to order scores, they may get there by Nov but they may not. College Board receives many thousands of send orders on the day test scores are released. How fast they get sent depends on how fast CB processes the orders and it can take anywhere from a couple days to a week (and possibly even longer) to process all the orders, so there is some risk they may not be sent by Nov 1.

If you order the Oct test sent by identifying the college in your test registration by tomorrow, College Board will send that test in late Oct to the college along with any prior tests that you have taken unless you choose not to send the prior tests. It will not send any future tests such as the Nov test based on that order. Thus to send the Nov test, you will either have to identify the college in your Nov test registration as one to revive scores upon release of order them sent after the Nov scores come out. Either of those orders would result in the Nov test scores being sent along with all prior tests including the Oct test uness you choose not to send any prior tests; however, the prior tests will not be sent until that Nov test scores come out.

If you are applying to a college that requires all tests for EA or ED to be completed by the Oct test dates, your Nov tests are likely not going to be considered for EA or ED even if you send them. For that college, whether you need to identify the college in your Oct test registraiton to receive scores depends, as noted above on whether the college is one of those that requires all scores to be in its hands by Nov 1, or instead accepts scores that arrive after the app deadline.

If you are applying to a college that accepts through the Nov test date for EA or ED, then be aware that a number of those want to see whatever you already have earlier and thus you should likely order your Oct scores sent when you get them (or if you want to save the money by identifying it in your Oct test registration). In any event, you should identify the college as one to receive scores in your Nov test registration rather than waiting to order scroes sent after your the Nov scores are released because (a) that is actually required by a number of those colleges that accept Nov scores, and (b) it is the way to assure they will arrive in time to be considered for EA or ED.

@drusba THANK YOU so much for the detailed response. I am early decisions to UPenn and they accept November test scores as well. However, I would love to have them have my SAT tests scores before the deadline and get my SAT subject test scores as soon as they come out.

Hence, I am sending my SAT scores today anyways and you’re right they will get it before I can even see them. And will send my SAT subject scores to them as well before I get to see them. Because I believe that’s the only shot I am left with. My January SAT scores were pathetic!