<p>I posted this a few days ago in the SAT forum but didn't get any responses. </p>
<p>My junior dd just registered for her first SAT (subject tests) in January. One of the billion questions on the online form was whether to send the scores to colleges. We left that blank so we could finalize the registration. Here are my questions:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Do colleges receive every score when you request your scores sent? So when she takes her last test (hopefully in June but depends on results), and we request scores sent to schools, will they receive every test she's taken prior to that sitting?</p></li>
<li><p>Is there any advantage/disadvantage to sending scores this early in the game? She has some preliminary top choices, but there is a lot of time between now and spring 2010. Sigh.....</p></li>
</ul>
<p>yes currently all scores will be sent. You have the ability to request the scores be sent <em>for free</em> when you take the test and shortly thereafter, but before the scores are released. So it is all the previous scores which you know, but also the current set which would be sent blind.</p>
<p>So up to you how to handle this. In March, the collegeboard is implementing score choice which will alllow the sender to pick and choose scores to send. Look through here and the SAT forums for details and speculation. There are also statements from some schools that they want all scores regardless.</p>
<p>The only advantage I see in sending this early is to avoid the fee for sending later, and if this is the only group you would wish the college to receive from cb. For example, some people may wish to send SAT II scores before SAT I testing and then have the ability to send ACT instead. This is less of an issue with score choice.</p>
<p>She's taking subject tests in January, May and June, and the SAT reasoning in March (we homeschool so we're trying to verify "mommy grades" as much as possible). So you wouldn't send the scores anywhere at this first sitting?</p>
<p>We sent scores to take advantage of the free score reports, but that was because we knew they were going to see all of the scores eventually anyway. It saved a little money but not that much as we had to send additional score reports to some schools after all tests had been taken anyway.</p>
<p>With score choice, there seems to be relatively little advantage in using the free score reports, except perhaps to safety schools where a lower than expected score wouldn't make much of a difference. </p>
<p>One more thought, there are some schools which are saying that even with score choice, they want to see scores for ALL tests taken. If that's the policy of some of her top choices, it wouldn't hurt to send the free score reports.</p>
<p>Unless the Jan set would be complete the requirements for collegeboard tests (ie, she is taking two subject tests and that may be all that is needed, or along with the act) I don't see any reason to send scores that would only be a partial set. She will need to send the remainder later anyway.</p>