I’ve already submitted my applications and sent all my available scores. However, I’ve signed up to take the ACT next month because I wasn’t happy with my recent SAT score report. I probably should’ve taken the ACT earlier this year, but I didn’t. It was a last minute decision with the hopes that it might help my chances. I’ve indicated in my application that I’m scheduled to take the ACT (December 12). My friend who contacted the UC admissions office said they want scores by January. I hear ACT scores take about a month to send.
Will my score be sent on time? And if it were to be sent mid-late January would that have an impact on my admission process? Also am I safe if I have my SAT score sent and saved on my application at least?
The UCs I applied to:
San Diego
Irvine
Riverside
Also for those who are familiar with CSUs, would it affect the admission process for SDSU, CSUSM? And if you sent one score report to one CSU, do all of the campuses receive them?
SDSU requires all scores by Nov 30, your ACT will not be considered from the December sitting. The UC website states that they will accept test scores from the December sitting.
UC Website:::If you’re applying for admission to the fall term, be sure to take your admissions tests no later than December of your senior year/last year prior to high school/secondary school graduation — preferably earlier — to ensure that your application receives prompt and full consideration. It is unlikely that scores from tests taken after our December deadline will arrive in our office in time for our review process.
For the CSU campuses, this is from the CSU Mentor Website::
If you have listed a CSU campus as an ACT score report recipient, you can use the ACT Scores Manager to release your score to additional campuses. Before you can use the ACT Scores Manager, you must first have arranged for your scores to be sent to a CSU campus.
@Gumbymom thank you for the info!
Since SDSU won’t take scores after this month, will it look bad that I have already submitted an application indicating that I will take the test in December? I have my SAT saved in it already. But would the admissions consider it unprofessional that I left that space on my application? Or they don’t care?
Also if the colleges were to check my applications, would they toss it away if my ACT score hasn’t arrived yet? Or would they continue reviewing it regardless of my missing ACT score because I have my SAT score?
I’m just worried because I put so much effort on my essays and everything else in high school for the past four years and I don’t want it all to be dismissed by something as small as this.
If you submitted your SAT scores to SDSU before the deadline, then they will not care about the ACT.
If you stated you planned on taking the ACT in December, the other schools (UC’s and CSU’s) will hold your application for review until the scores are submitted since the UC’s will take the highest score from a single sitting and the rest of the CSU’s will superscore.
Okay, sounds good! 
and thank you so much for these answers I really really appreciate them! @Gumbymom