When looking at both Regular Decision and Restrictive Early Action deadlines for colleges such as MIT and Stanford, the deadlines for standardized testing (SAT/ACT) are listed separately than those of the general application.
For example, in Stanford’s website, it says that the application is due “November 1” for Early Action but that the last acceptable SAT test date is the “October test date” and the last acceptable ACT test date is the “September Test Date, because we cannot ensure the ACT October test date will reach their office in time.”
I have three questions:
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Does this mean they CAN ensure the SAT test results from the October test date will reach their office in time (and thus they allow the October test date as the final testing date). I am curious about this because most information sources recommend 5-6 weeks following a test date to ensure the college processes it.
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If they CANNOT ensure the October SAT test results will be processed by November 1, do they still allow the SAT score to be considered, because they specified the October test date as the deadline?
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Is there anyone I can contact at Stanford (or other schools) that would better be able to address these concerns?
Thank You! 
They cannot ensure the Oct test scores will arrive in time but it is not what you might think. Stanford, similar to a number of other colleges, accepts the October SAT for EA. It does not have to arrive by Nov 1 and can actually show up mid-Nov or even a little later to be considered. In other words, the application deadline date is not the deadline date for arrival of test scores.
Thus, in the usual circumstances, your October SAT will arrive in time. However, Stanford still cannot guarantee it will arive in time. There could be unusual circumstances resulting in a delay by the College Board in reporting your scores, which, for example, can happen if it has information indicating there may have been cheating on the test and CB puts the test on hold while it investigates. The problem with that kind of delay is that it can last well beyond the time by which Stanford needs the scores to even consider them at all for EA, and that kind of delay can occur even if you were not cheating, but some others in the same room as you were (CB investigates to determine if the wrongful event may have involved more people in the room than those originally accused before releasing scores).
Alright, thank you so much for clearing that up. Is there any way to determine exactly (or around) how late a test score must arrive to be considered (just for peace of mind).
Thank you again.
For the October 2018 test, you are likely not even going to have an issue. The test will be given Oct 6 and thus scores will likely be out by third week of October. If you identify colleges (the four free sends) to receive the scores in your October test registration, they will actually be “sent” to the designated colleges one to two days before they are even released to you on line. CB “sends” scores these days by simply putting them into a secure internet file that the college has with CB and thus “sending” and “receipt” occur simultaneously. If you wait to order scores sent on the day you get them online, you usually have a few days to a week before CB puts them into the college’s internet file but those will also likely be delivered by Oct 31. (Many refer to a delivery time of three to four weeks after you order scores which period CB may still mention on its site; understand that CB created that estimated time period before the invention of the internet when everything was sent by mail, and then just never bothered to change it.)
As to latest time the scores can be delivered, Stanford does not provide a date, but colleges that do provide a date typically state dates like Nov 10 to mid-November, except that many with an EA or ED application deadline of Nov 1 actually accept the Nov SAT test as long as it arrives by end of November/earlyDecember.
Be aware there are actually a small number of colleges that state all test scores must be in their hands by the application deadline date of Nov 1. However, those colleges clearly state that on their sites.