Which colleges superscore the SAT

<p>This is in response to the featured discussion about the ACT... I've heard that the colleges that want to receive all your scores (Stanford, Yale) superscore them, and the colleges that receive one of your scores (Harvard) actually wants your highest score from each section. Can someone please clear this up and the score choice situation? Thanks...</p>

<p>Not sure what you mean as to Harvard. You cannot send just an individual section score from a test. Harvard, Stanford and Yale (and all ivies, MIT and Caltech) superscore SATs meaning they use your highest section scores from multiple tests to get your SAT score. Coming up with a complete list of all that superscore SAT is something that might be found elsewhere but generally (a) most but not all private universities superscore SATs and those that do not use for admission that test with highest composite, (b) some public universiteis superscore but most do not and instead use that test with highest composite.</p>

<p>On collegeboard for colleges such as Yale and Stanford it says, “All SAT scores required for review,” but for Harvard, it says, “Highest Section Scores Across Test Dates.” I interpret this to mean that you give your highest section scores no matter what date you took the test.</p>

<p>No, that is a confusing list that is referring to different things. An “all scores” school requires you to send all SAT scores and not exercise score choice with CB and prevent any one or more tests from being sent. However, most of those all scores schools still superscore SATs by using highest section scores from the multiple tests an applicant sends. Harvard’s reference as “Highest Section Scores Across Test Dates” means it does not require you to send the scores of every SAT test you took but it still superscores if you send multiple tests. It is impossible when ordering scores sent by CB to send only a section score from a test. Score choice means you have the choice of not sending a particular test (and its scores) but that means not sending anything at all on that test.</p>

<p>So for example, if I got 800 200 800 and 200 800 200 on my two tries at the SAT, I would still send both in order to get a 2400 instead of sending one and getting a 1600?</p>

<p>Though your example is an extreme that will not actually occur (if you can actually score 200 in a section you must really know the correct answer to every question because to get 200 requires you to actually answer every question wrong, not just leave things unanswered), yes, for colleges that superscore, you would send both test scores and your superscored SAT scores would be 800 for each section and 2400 total</p>

<p>yea it was just for arguments sake</p>