Superscoring
Many in college admission talk about reading applications holistically and supportively; one way they can do this is by “superscoring” standardized tests. This means that if you take the SAT more than once, the admission office will take the highest section score across test administrations and assign you a new, higher total score. For instance, if you scored a 650 EBRW and 670 Math (Total 1320) in March and a 700 EBRW and 650 Math (Total 1350) in May, your superscore would be 700 + 670 = 1370. For the ACT, this process generally takes the form of taking your highest test scores across test administrations, but may not result in a new Composite score because colleges use test scores individually.
Score Choice
The College Board and ACT have adopted policies, generally referred to as “Score Choice,” designed to give students some control over how SAT, Subject Test, and ACT scores are reported. Colleges, however, have the final say over what scores applicants should submit and how those scores will be used. Students should carefully review the score-reporting policy of each college to which they plan to apply.
- Require all scores: These colleges explicitly require applicants to submit all test scores.
- Recommend all scores: These colleges recommend but do not require that applicants send all test scores. These schools’ admission offices will create superscores for applicants, and counselors do not want students to inadvertently neglect to send a high section score.
- Accept score choice: These colleges will accept whichever scores an applicant elects to submit.
In the table below, you will find the superscore and score choice policies of many popular colleges. We are working to build out this database to include the 360 popular colleges whose ACT Writing and SAT Essay policies, SAT Subject Test policies, and estimated new SAT score ranges we also track.
10/29/19 Update: We will begin tracking which schools accept single section retakes for the ACT in their superscore process. So far, we have heard from Fordham and Temple that they will likely accept these scores for superscoring.
School | Superscore SAT | Superscore ACT | Superscore ACT with Single Section Retakes | Score Choice |
---|---|---|---|---|
Abilene Christian University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Adelphi University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Agnes Scott College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Albion College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Allegheny College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
American University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Amherst College | Yes | Yes | Score Choice OK | |
Appalachian State University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Arizona State University—Tempe | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Auburn University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Augustana College | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Austin College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Babson College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Baldwin Wallace University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Bard College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Barnard College | Yes | No | Requires all SAT or ACT | |
Bates College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Baylor University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Beloit College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Bennington College | Yes | Yes* | Score choice OK | |
Bentley University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Berea College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Berry College | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Binghamton University—SUNY | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Biola University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Birmingham-Southern College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Boston College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Boston University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Bowdoin College | Yes* | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Bradley University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Brandeis University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Brigham Young University—Provo | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Brown University | Yes | Yes* | Score choice OK | |
Bryn Mawr College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Bucknell University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Butler University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
California Institute of Technology | Yes | No* | Score choice OK | |
California Lutheran University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
California Polytechnic State University—San Luis Obispo | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
California State Polytechnic University—Pomona | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
California State University—Fresno | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
California State University—Fullerton | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
California State University—Long Beach | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
California State University—Los Angeles | Yes | Yes | Score Choice OK | |
California State University—Monterey Bay | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
California State University—Northridge | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Carleton College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Carnegie Mellon University | Yes | No | Requires all SAT or ACT | |
Carroll College | No | No | Recommends all | |
Case Western Reserve University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Centre College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Chapman University | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Christopher Newport University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Claremont McKenna College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Clark University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Clarkson University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Clemson University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Coe College | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Colby College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Colgate University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
College of Charleston | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
College of New Jersey | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
College of St. Benedict | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
College of the Holy Cross | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
College of William and Mary | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
College of Wooster | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Colorado College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Colorado School of Mines | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Colorado State University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Columbia University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Concordia College—Moorhead | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Connecticut College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Cooper Union | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Cornell College | Yes | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK |
Cornell University | Yes* | No | Requires all ACT; SAT Score Choice OK | |
Creighton University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
CUNY—Baruch College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Dartmouth College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Davidson College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Denison University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
DePaul University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
DePauw University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Dickinson College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Drake University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Drew University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Drexel University | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Drury University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Duke University | Yes* | Yes* | Score choice OK | |
Duquesne University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Earlham College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Elmhurst College | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Elon University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Emerson College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Emory University | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Fairfield University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Florida Institute of Technology | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Florida State University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Fordham University | Yes | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK |
Franklin and Marshall College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Furman University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Gallaudet University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
George Mason University | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
George Washington University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Georgetown University | Yes | No | Requires all scores | |
Georgia Institute of Technology | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Gettysburg College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Gonzaga University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Goshen College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Goucher College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Grinnell College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Gustavus Adolphus College | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Hamilton College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Hampden-Sydney College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Hampton University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Hanover College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Harvard University* | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Harvey Mudd College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Haverford College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Hendrix College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
High Point University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Hillsdale College | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Hobart and William Smith Colleges | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Hofstra University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Hollins University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Hope College | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Howard University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Humboldt State University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Illinois Institute of Technology | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Illinois Wesleyan University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Indiana University—Bloomington | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Iowa State University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Ithaca College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
James Madison University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
John Brown University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Johns Hopkins University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Kalamazoo College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Kenyon College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Knox College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Lafayette College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Lake Forest College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Lawrence University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Lehigh University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Lewis & Clark College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Lipscomb University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Louisiana State University—Baton Rouge | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Loyola Marymount University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Loyola University Chicago | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Loyola University Maryland | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Loyola University New Orleans | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Luther College | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Macalester College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Marist College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Marquette University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Mercer University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Miami University—Oxford | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Michigan State University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Michigan Technological University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Middlebury College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Mills College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Millsaps College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Milwaukee School of Engineering | No | No | Recommends all | |
Mississippi State University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Missouri University of Science & Technology | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Morehouse College | Yes | Contact college | Score choice OK | |
Mount Holyoke College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Muhlenberg College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
New College of Florida | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
New Jersey Institute of Technology | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
New School | No | No | Score choice OK | |
New York University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
North Carolina State University—Raleigh | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Northeastern University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Northwestern University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Oberlin College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Occidental College | Yes | Yes* | Score choice OK | |
Ohio State University—Columbus | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Ohio University | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Ohio Wesleyan University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Oklahoma State University | No | No | Recommends all | |
Oregon State University | No | No | Recommends all | |
Pacific Lutheran University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Pennsylvania State University—University Park | No | No | Recommends all | |
Pepperdine University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Pitzer College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Point Loma Nazarene University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Pomona College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Pratt Institute | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Presbyterian College (SC) | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Princeton University | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Providence College | Yes | Yes* | Recommends all | |
Purdue University—West Lafayette | Yes | Yes* | Score choice OK | |
Queens University of Charlotte | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Quinnipiac University | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Randolph-Macon College | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Reed College | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Rhode Island School of Design | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Rhodes College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Rice University | Yes | Yes* | Recommends all | |
Ripon College | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Rochester Institute of Technology | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Rollins College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey—New Brunswick | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey—Newark | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Saint Louis University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Samford University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
San Diego State University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
San Francisco State University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
San Jose State University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Santa Clara University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Sarah Lawrence College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Scripps College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Seattle University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Seton Hall University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Sewanee—University of the South | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Siena College | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Simmons College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Skidmore College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Smith College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Soka University of America | Yes | Yes | Requires all SAT or ACT | |
Southern Methodist University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Southwestern University | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
Spelman College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
St. John Fisher College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
St. John's College Annapolis | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
St. John's University (NY) | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
St. Lawrence University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
St. Mary's College (IN) | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
St. Mary's College of California | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
St. Mary's College of Maryland | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
St. Michael's College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
St. Olaf College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Stanford University | Yes** | No** | Score choice OK | |
Stetson University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Stevens Institute of Technology | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Stonehill College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Stony Brook University—SUNY | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
SUNY—Geneseo | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Susquehanna University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Swarthmore College | Yes | Yes* | Score choice OK | |
Syracuse University | Yes | Yes | Requires all scores | |
Taylor University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Temple University | Yes | Yes | Yes | Recommends all |
Texas A&M University—College Station | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Texas Christian University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Texas Lutheran University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
The Catholic University of America | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
The Citadel | Yes | No | Requires all SAT or ACT | |
Thomas Aquinas College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Transylvania University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Trinity College (Hartford) | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Trinity University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Truman State University | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Tufts University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Tulane University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Union College (Schenectady, NY) | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
United States Air Force Academy | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
United States Coast Guard Academy | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
United States Military Academy | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
United States Naval Academy | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University at Albany—SUNY | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University at Buffalo—SUNY | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Alabama | No | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Arizona | No | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Arkansas—Fayetteville | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of California—Berkeley | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of California—Davis | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of California—Irvine | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of California—Los Angeles | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of California—Merced | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of California—Riverside | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of California—San Diego | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of California—Santa Barbara | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of California—Santa Cruz | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of Chicago | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of Cincinnati | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of Colorado—Boulder | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of Connecticut | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Dallas | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
University of Dayton | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Delaware | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of Denver | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Florida | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Georgia | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Hawaii at Manoa | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Illinois—Chicago | No | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign | Yes* | Yes* | Score choice OK | |
University of Iowa | No | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Kansas | No | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Kentucky | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of La Verne | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Mary Washington | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Maryland—College Park | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Massachusetts—Amherst | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Miami | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of Michigan—Ann Arbor | Yes* | Yes* | Score choice OK | |
University of Minnesota—Twin Cities | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of Mississippi | No | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Missouri | No | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Nebraska—Lincoln | No | No | Score choice OK | |
University of New Hampshire | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of North Carolina—Wilmington | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of Notre Dame | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Oklahoma | No | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Oregon | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes | Score Choice OK | |
University of Pittsburgh | Yes | No | Recommends all | |
University of Portland | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Puget Sound | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Redlands | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of Richmond | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Rochester | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of San Diego | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
University of San Francisco | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of South Carolina | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
University of South Florida | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of Southern California | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
University of St. Thomas (MN) | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of Tennessee | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of Texas—Austin | No | No | Recommends all | |
University of Texas—Dallas | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
University of the Pacific | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of Tulsa | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Utah | No | No | Score choice OK | |
University of Vermont | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
University of Virginia | Yes* | Yes* | Score choice OK | |
University of Washington | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
University of Wisconsin—Madison | No | No | Recommends all | |
Ursinus College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Valparaiso University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Vanderbilt University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Vassar College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Villanova University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Virginia Commonwealth University | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Virginia Military Institute | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Wabash College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Wake Forest University | Yes | Yes* | Score choice OK | |
Washington and Jefferson College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Washington and Lee University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Washington College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Washington State University | Yes | Yes | Recommends all | |
Washington University in St. Louis | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Wellesley College | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Wesleyan University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Western Michigan University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Westmont College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Wheaton College (IL) | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Whitman College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Whittier College | Yes | No | Score choice OK | |
Willamette University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Williams College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Wofford College | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute | No | No | Score choice OK | |
Xavier University | Yes | Yes | Score choice OK | |
Yale University | Yes | Yes | Requires all SAT or ACT | |
Yeshiva University | Yes** | Yes** | Score choice OK |
* Weak Superscoring—This school falls somewhere between “highest composite” and true superscoring. For instance, Cornell, Duke, and NYU look at the highest subscores even though they do not build a new composite score. We find this to be almost a distinction without a difference, especially since some colleges do the same thing behind the scenes but label it “superscoring.”
**Stanford does not superscore ACT; however the website states, “For the ACT, we will review all subscores and focus on the highest Composite from all sittings.” For the new SAT, Stanford will superscore your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math scores across sittings taken with the essay and sittings taken without the essay.
Post a comment or send an email to guide@compassprep.com with questions or recommended changes.
My son took the ACT three times. His highest composite score was 33 (English 34, Math 36, Reading 29, Science 32). But in another sitting he increased his science score to 33, though his other section scores were lower (composite was 31). Should he just submit the scores from the sitting where he got 33, or should he also include the other one to indicate the 1-point gain in science?
He is applying to Cal Poly SLO as a top choice. (I’m not even sure if they consider science)
Second question…
On his SAT he got 800 math/700 English. Should he submit both SAT and ACT scores, or just one?
Thanks!
— Al
Al,
My understanding is that Cal Poly SLO only uses Math and English and superscores both SAT and ACT (and takes the highest when comparing SAT and ACT). Admission officers at Cal Poly only use the highest scores, so there is no negative to over-submitting. I would submit his 33 and his 1500.
Hi!, if a school superscores ACT, can you choose two dates of three to send for them to superscore, even if the third date has the highest score on one section? My child scored low on math on the third date that I’d rather the school not see, even though the science was the highest by 1 point?
Al,
Except in the few cases where colleges require all scores (e.g. Yale and Georgetown), you can choose to send whichever scores you want.
My daughter is going to apply for Princeton University. It allows score choice but “encourage” to send all scores. She got 35 on ACT so she will send this score. For SAT, she took 3 times. Scores are 1500, 1480 and 1460. Would it be ok just to send the 1500 score for SAT? Thanks.
Betty,
There is no reason to send anything other than the 1500. In fact, I’m not sure that you should even bother with that score. The 35 on the ACT is the stronger score. I doubt that the 1500 will hurt your daughter’s chances, but I want to point out that it is not necessary.
Thank you for your prompt advice. My daughter is going to apply for 8 colleges on Common App. Some of the colleges require applicants to self-report all scores, although Common App only provides space for the highest score of each test type. I’m confused. Does she need to self-report her 1500 SAT score as well in order to meet the testing requirements of all colleges on one portal? Also, if she chooses to use score choice feature for Princeton, will it put her in a disadvantage position? Thanks
Betty,
I’m not a Common App expert, but I believe that you have two options (other than just reporting everything to everyone). First, there is no requirement to self-report on the Common App. You can choose to only send official reports to colleges. Second, you can edit the testing section of the Common App as you submit each application. Just because the Common App provides a space for the highest test scores in each area does not mean that you must fill them out. You should follow the policies set by the individual colleges. You are not at a disadvantage using Score Choice at Princeton.
Thank you! This is helpful.
Hi, I recently got my SAT scores, and it turned out I have 680 R&W and 310 on the math section. I felt really bad after I wrote the writing section(I guessed I ate something wrong that morning, and I didn’t answer most of the questions). Luckily I have a 640 R&W and 800 math score from last year. Do you think I should explain to them why my math score dropped so much?
Krasco,
I’m sorry to hear that you got sick. That sure is an unusual score. I don’t face that often. I’d be a little concerned about submitting the second test. It only helps by raising your superscore by 40 points. If you are a senior and have taken your last SAT, I would explain the drop. I would imagine that, with an 800, you also have strong math grades to show that the 310 was just an anomaly.
Hi, I recently got a 36 on the ACT which is comparatively better than the 1540 I got on the SAT (770 on each section). For the colleges that use score choice, would it be better just to send my ACT score?
Niko,
I don’t see any reason to submit the SAT results. Congratulations on your ACT score!
Hello
My son took SAT in March 2019 and got 1480 (EBRW: 680 (Reading: 33, Writing: 35), Math: 800) and retook it in August 2019 and got a lower score 1450 (EBRW: 680 (Reading: 34, Writing: 34), Math: 770). He’s applying to a college that has score choice policy but ENCOURAGES students to send all scores. I have a couple of questions:
1- Since his second score is lower than the first one, I really don’t want him to send all scores; I honestly don’t see the benefit of doing so. I feel that the term ‘ENCOURAGE’ is not as strong as ‘RECOMMEND’ which I know equates to ‘REQUIRE’. What would you recommend?
2- In the common application, there’s a section where you list out all the SAT tests that you’ve taken. If he lists both dates but submits only one score, would that be a problem with the admission?
Thank you for your help.
Vic,
Your son does not need to send his lower score to the college or list the score on the Common App. The Common App is only for all of the scores you would like to self-report. There is no requirement.
Dear Mr. Sawyer:
Thank you very much for your quick response. I really appreciated it.
Best regards.
Hello Mr. Sawyer!! Quick question. My senior is hoping to send out scores in next week to her colleges which all allow super scores. Her first SAT she scored 720 EBWR and 700 Math. (essay 6,5,6) Second test was 710 and 740 for score choice of 1460. So some schools say send all (University of South Carolina) so we will send all and some say only send higher scores. BUT – some schools say they RECOMMEND sending all scores “so you can be considered for all available enrollment related opportunities.” Her scores are so similar that I don’t think it really matters – but her essay scores are “ehh” and I would rather not send them. (she got a 5 on her AP English Language and I would rather the schools see that. Would it be wise to score choice for schools like Clemson, Chapel Hill that allow score choosing but recommend sending them all??? Thank you!!!!
Kim,
First, you are right to think that it doesn’t really matter in your daughter’s case. I don’t know of a school that would choose not to admit your daughter based on her essay scores (which are better than “ehh”). On the other hand, raising her superscore by 10 points won’t be the tip factor, either.
Schools are not always great about communicating their policies. Colleges that recommend all scores typically do so because “we superscore, why would you not want to send us everything?” They’ve also seen students who forget to send scores or don’t even choose the ones that benefit them most. There is no penalty for not submitting all scores and, in fact, colleges are not made aware of Score Choice decisions.
I would submit all scores. It’s easy, and you don’t have to think about it. There are enough other things to worry about during this process.
Hi, so how this superscore being fair to student who took SAT once and got perfect score?
Anton,
I think most students would be OK with any downsides of a perfect score.
Hi. I just want to ask questions about sending SAT scores. If I take the SAT four times and the university that I plan to apply allows superscore, is it okay if I only send two of them or do I need to send all four SAT scores?
Kaylee,
Yes, unless the college is one of the few that does not allow Score Choice, you can choose to send any or all of your scores.
Hello
My daughter (10th grade) took math subject on Aug. 24 and get 780 on math level 2.
Since she got solid 800 from the practicing tests published my College board and another popular preparation book (harder one) and she finished all questions strong, she is considering to submit score verification and even re-take the test. Our questions are:
1. Does it make sense to go for score verification?
2. Is 780 good enough for UC? Should she re-take the test?
3. If she re-take the subject tests, will she need to submit all subject scores for UC? or she can pick the best one.
4. Another hypothetical question: if my daughter takes math level 1 in the future but the college (for example UC, Cal tech, etc.) does not require level 1 score, does she sill need to submit math level 1 score? Or she is allowed not to submit level 1.
Thank you.
SD
SD,
I’m sure your daughter is frustrated at having just missed out on an 800, but her 780 is a great score.
1) It’s extremely unlikely that this would result in a change.
2) Yes, it would be at the high end of UC scores (keep in mind that UC does not require Subject Tests, although some programs recommend them).
3) She can pick her best scores.
4) I’d strongly advise against taking Math Level 1. For most programs, a 780 Math 2 is going to be better than even an 800 Math 1. As to your hypothetical, Georgetown is about the only remaining college that expects students to submit all Subject Test scores.
I have taken the ACT twice. 1st time: 30: E30 M34 R27 S30. 2nd time: 31: E27 M33 R31 S32. So superscore is 31.75. Should I send both or just the 31 because the two tests are so inconsistent? Everyone seems to have a different opinion. Thanks in advance.
Isabella,
I’m not surprised that people have different opinions on this one, and I’m not going to insist that mine is right. If a college superscores, then I would send both scores. Superscoring wouldn’t matter if we were always consistent! Having a superscored 32 seems better than having a 31. Your Math and Science scores are similar. You had a good day on English on a day that you struggled with the Reading and vice versa. That’s nothing an admission officer hasn’t seen before. If a college doesn’t explicitly superscore the ACT, I’m not as certain. In some cases they will only look at the higher Composite. In other cases, they’ll evaluate all of your subscores. I think I’d still send both scores. You proved that you can do 30+ in all areas.
Thanks so much!
Hi Art,
My daughter has taken the SAT 2x – 800m/690r on first, and 700m/770r on second. I’m thrilled that she has a 1570 superscore, but a little concerned that her math dropped so much. (Also, she’s taking math 2 subject test this summer and I’m pretty confident she can score over 750, in case that matters.)Any reason to be concerned about the drop in math? She’ll obviously be sending both of these scores.
Thanks!
Sandy
Sandy,
Colleges that superscore really do superscore, so I wouldn’t be concerned by the Math drop. One of the reasons schools choose to superscore is for exactly this case — they want to judge a student based on her best performance.
I am obligated to point out that not all colleges superscore. Since you are on our superscoring page, my guess is that you already knew that!
If I wish to superscore my SAT am I required to send all scores from each SAT I took? Or just the two I wish to superscore from?
Also, I have taken the SAT three times without studying and my superscore is a 1430 (730 R/W, 700 M). Do you think it is possible, after studying throughout the summer, to get this up to a 1500 in August?
Can you explain the essay score to me as well? I got an 8/6/8. Thank you
Hi Anna,
If the school allows Score Choice you can decide to send only the two test dates that you want. Superscoring is something the admission office does with your scores.
We have seen students raise their score by 70 points over a summer. Best of luck if you decide to go that route!
To learn more about the essay score – check out our Guide to College Admission Testing, a free PDF, downloadable at compassprep.com/guide
Hi there.
My son scored
1410= 680R + 730M (Aug 2018)
1500= 730R + 770M (Mar 2019)
If he take 3rd time, does SAT or ACT works better? If he goes for ACT, how does super score work?
His essay is 7/6/7. What does mean?
He is aiming UCLA or CMU, UW for Computer Science
Thank you!!!!
Amak,
I would recommend sticking with the SAT, since he has seen nice improvement. He could always take a practice ACT to see how he is performing. His 7/6/7 is quite strong. Each area is scored out of 8 points, but it’s very difficult to get an 8. I estimate that his Essay scores put him in the 99th percentile.
Superscoring does not apply across the SAT and ACT, so he wouldn’t get any benefit. Right now the only scores that matter are from his March 2019 SAT.
Hey,
I scored a 28 the first time I took the ACT- 36 math, 21 science, 24 reading and 31 english… but did it a month later and got 32 composite- 33 math, 34 english, 31 reading, 28 science… should i submit both or just the 32- I am concerned about the 36 in math.
Stanley,
Congratulations on the improvement! I would recommend against sending your 28, as the difference — especially in reading and science — is quite large. Even superscored, you would remain at a 32. It’s a shame that schools won’t see your 36, but I think you’re better off with that sacrifice.
Will a subject area test be included in superscoring? For example if my child takes the math subject area and scores higher than she did on the math subtest of the SAT, will the subject area test be used for super scoring?
Thank you!
Hi Lisa,
SAT Subject Tests are not factored into superscores. Schools will either superscore sections of the SAT OR sections of the ACT. Each Subject Test score is considered separately.
UC Berkeley is really confusing….. The generic UC page states
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/requirements/examination-requirement/index.html
Report ACT and/or SAT scores on your admissions application, then request that an official copy of the scores be sent to us from the testing agency. You can have your official score report sent to one UC campus, and all campuses you apply to will receive it.
In the College Board’s Score Choice module, we ENCOURAGE (emphasis mine) you to send all official scores to UC. We will use the highest scores from a single administration. There is no disadvantage to submitting all scores. A higher sub-score from another test date may be used to meet university or campus graduation requirements after admission (dependent on the campus).
For the ACT with Writing test, we will focus on the highest combined score from the same test administration.
elsewhere this…. https://admissions.berkeley.edu/documentation
Report ACT and/or SAT scores on your admissions application, then request that an official copy of the scores be sent to us from the testing agency. You can have your official score report sent to one UC campus, and all campuses you apply to will receive it.
In the College Board’s Score Choice module, ensure that all scores are sent to UC. We REQUIRE (emphasis mine) all scores and will use the highest scores from a single administration.
1) The College Board is just the SAT, right?
2) Either way the information is contradictory
…. thoughts (specifically concerned about the ACT and what they’re actually asking for)
Karen,
You would think that the largest university system in the country would know how to set consistent policies. As you found out, the UC’s don’t always meet that expectation. Keep in mind that Score Choice is a student’t choice; it is never the university’s choice. College Board will warn you when a policy is that a school does not “recognize” Score Choice, but the decision is ultimately yours. Things are simpler for the ACT because there is no such thing as Score Choice — you send scores for each test. Berkeley does not require all ACT scores. Any submitted ACT must be ACT w/Writing. The UC’s do not superscore, but will take your best combined score from a test administration.
Stanford does not offer score choice, please update
Hi Max,
Stanford has updated its policies. From their website:
“How to report your test scores:
We recommend that you simply self-report your highest scores in the testing section of the application. You can also have official scores sent to Stanford, but this is not required for us to review your application.
If your most recent test results arrive after you submit your application, you can self-report these scores by sending your student score report(s) as an email attachment to credentials@stanford.edu.
If you are offered admission and choose to enroll, official scores will be required. In order for test scores to be considered official, they must be sent directly from the College Board or the ACT.*
*Please note: Stanford reserves the right to revoke an offer of admission if an applicant’s self-reported test scores do not align with those in the official score report.”
https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/freshman/testing.html
So does this mean that Stanford’s policies for the SAT and ACT are the same? In the table it is listed that they do not superscore the ACT, but are you allowed to select which test date scores are sent? Thank you.
Annie,
While Stanford does not superscore the ACT (i.e. does not combine section scores into a new Composite score), it does allow you to decide which scores to send: “If you would like to have official scores sent, it is fine to use the College Board’s Score Choice option or the equivalent offered by the ACT.” Stanford does superscore the SAT.
Does the university of maryland require all ACT scores be sent?
Dwight,
Maryland does not require all ACT scores. However, they use the highest subscores, so there is also no disadvantage to sending your scores.
I would like to ask if I could use superscore on the printed score report, because the college I want to apply to require the printed ones instead of the online score report. I took physics, math2 and bio on my first SAT subject test and did math2 and physics once more, and increase my physics score but my math2 score decreases. I would like to swap just my physics score but keep the math and bio score from my first attempt. Is this possible to do for the printed score report?
Hi there,
Superscoring is done by college admission folks for either the SAT or ACT. For subject tests, you can simply elect to only send your highest scores—each test is considered individually. Best of luck with your applications!
Hi there,
My son took SAT in October and got 1480 (EBRW: 700 (Reading: 33, Writing: 37), Math: 780) and retook it in December and got 1510 (EBRW: 710 (Reading: 31, Writing: 40), Math: 800). I am a little confused about superscoring. I understand that superscoring schools use the highest EBRW score. But do they superscore reading and writing sections also? If so, should we send both October and December scores because Reading score was higher in October and Writing score was higher in December? Or if they superscore only EBRW, should we send only December score?
Thank you very much for your help!
John,
Superscoring is done with the EBRW and Math scores. I don’t see any reason to send the October score.
How can I tell how competitive I am if I studied for the SAT and took it for the first time *without* doing a superscore-focused approach? I am a junior and just got my December scores for my first-ever SAT (740/750) but even though i thought it was pretty good and even though puts me in the top 2% of all sat takers it hardly even squeaks into the top 25% of many schools and that seems odd.
Is there any normal “fidge factor” where I can find out how competitive I am without having done superscoring?
Hi Erik,
Congrats on the 1490 on your first attempt! The question of how competitive you are is a complicated one. When admission officers look at your application, they’ll most likely be looking at a range of factors, test scores being only one of them. High school GPA, letters of recommendation, extra-curricular activities will all play a part. You’re right to point out, however, that those scores are often in the mid-range of Freshman classes at the most selective universities. Check out https://www.compassprep.com/great-to-good-the-diluted-value-of-high-test-scores/ on the increase of high-scoring students.
My advice would be that if you think you could improve your scores, it’s worth taking the exam again. Even if only one score goes up, many schools superscore.
I am still unclear about Georgetown testing requirements. If the student took both SAT & ACT, do they have to submit all scores, from all sittings , from both? In other words, does Georgetown require entire student testing history (both SAT & ACT if student took both)?
Jo,
Georgetown requires a student’s full testing history — every SAT, Subject Test, and ACT taken.
Cornell doesn’t require all scores anymore. They allow score choice for SAT+Subject Tests. All ACT Scores do have to be submitted though.
https://admissions.cornell.edu/standardized-testing-requirements
Updated. Thank you, M.
A&M requires all scores, please do not mislead others
Hi Erin,
Thank you for the note. We’ve updated our resources.
Hello, if a college like CMU requires all SAT and ACT scores does that mean they also require all subject scores?
Aurora,
This is a point of confusion because College Board’s score reporting tool only tells students whether or not a school participates in Score Choice. We have found that almost all colleges make an exception for Subject Tests. In other words, just because you need to submit all SAT scores does not automatically mean that you must submit all Subject Test scores. It is best to check with individual colleges. My understanding is that CMU no longer requires to submit all Subject Test scores and that you can choose which ones to send. Again, I would check with the university.