Superscoring and Score Choice Policies

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.

168 Comments

Al says:

November 18, 2019 at 7:53 pm

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

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  November 19, 2019 at 1:34 pm
  
  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.
  
Al says:

November 15, 2019 at 8:09 am

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?

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  November 15, 2019 at 8:23 am
  
  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.
  
Betty says:

November 7, 2019 at 10:34 am

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.

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  November 7, 2019 at 10:42 am
  
  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.
  
  - Betty says:
    
    November 7, 2019 at 11:13 am
    
    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
    
    - Art Sawyer says:
      
      November 7, 2019 at 11:22 am
      
      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.
      
      - Betty says:
        
        November 7, 2019 at 11:33 am
        
        Thank you! This is helpful.
Krasco says:

October 22, 2019 at 10:40 pm

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?

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  October 29, 2019 at 12:00 pm
  
  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.
  
Niko says:

October 7, 2019 at 8:26 pm

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?

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  October 8, 2019 at 4:06 am
  
  Niko,
  I don’t see any reason to submit the SAT results. Congratulations on your ACT score!
  
Vic says:

October 2, 2019 at 3:01 pm

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.

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  October 2, 2019 at 3:18 pm
  
  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.
  
  - Vic says:
    
    October 2, 2019 at 3:30 pm
    
    Dear Mr. Sawyer:
    
    Thank you very much for your quick response. I really appreciated it.
    
    Best regards.
    
Kim says:

September 21, 2019 at 7:37 am

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!!!!

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  September 25, 2019 at 6:11 pm
  
  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.
  
Anton says:

September 19, 2019 at 1:59 pm

Hi, so how this superscore being fair to student who took SAT once and got perfect score?

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  September 19, 2019 at 3:16 pm
  
  Anton,
  I think most students would be OK with any downsides of a perfect score.
  
Kaylee N says:

September 8, 2019 at 11:15 pm

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?

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  September 11, 2019 at 5:51 pm
  
  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.
  
SD says:

September 7, 2019 at 8:33 pm

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

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  September 11, 2019 at 6:51 pm
  
  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.
  
Isabella says:

August 21, 2019 at 11:38 am

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.

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  August 21, 2019 at 7:41 pm
  
  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.
  
Sandy says:

July 20, 2019 at 4:31 am

Thanks so much!

Sandy says:

June 22, 2019 at 5:38 pm

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

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  July 10, 2019 at 4:38 pm
  
  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!
  
Anna says:

May 17, 2019 at 5:15 pm

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

- Ash Kramer says:
  
  May 20, 2019 at 9:56 am
  
  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
  
Amak says:

March 22, 2019 at 11:49 pm

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!!!!

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  April 12, 2019 at 7:47 pm
  
  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.
  
Stanley says:

February 15, 2019 at 3:12 am

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.

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  February 20, 2019 at 8:06 pm
  
  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.
  
Lisa says:

February 1, 2019 at 3:38 pm

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!

- Ash Kramer says:
  
  February 4, 2019 at 4:42 pm
  
  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.
  
Karen says:

January 27, 2019 at 2:03 am

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)

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  January 27, 2019 at 6:45 pm
  
  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.
  
Max Malhame says:

December 29, 2018 at 9:51 pm

Stanford does not offer score choice, please update

- Ash Kramer says:
  
  January 2, 2019 at 8:37 am
  
  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
  
  - Annie says:
    
    January 12, 2019 at 4:46 am
    
    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.
    
    - Art Sawyer says:
      
      January 14, 2019 at 12:49 pm
      
      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.
      
dwight says:

December 28, 2018 at 7:15 pm

Does the university of maryland require all ACT scores be sent?

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  January 5, 2019 at 4:17 pm
  
  Dwight,
  Maryland does not require all ACT scores. However, they use the highest subscores, so there is also no disadvantage to sending your scores.
  
Aurelius says:

December 18, 2018 at 7:47 am

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?

- Ash Kramer says:
  
  December 18, 2018 at 9:56 am
  
  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!
  
John says:

December 15, 2018 at 12:55 am

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!

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  December 17, 2018 at 1:00 am
  
  John,
  Superscoring is done with the EBRW and Math scores. I don’t see any reason to send the October score.
  
Erik H says:

December 14, 2018 at 9:14 am

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?

- Ash Kramer says:
  
  December 14, 2018 at 10:08 am
  
  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.
  
Jo says:

December 1, 2018 at 1:57 pm

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)?

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  December 3, 2018 at 10:53 pm
  
  Jo,
  Georgetown requires a student’s full testing history — every SAT, Subject Test, and ACT taken.
  
M says:

November 19, 2018 at 2:12 pm

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

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  November 26, 2018 at 6:13 pm
  
  Updated. Thank you, M.
  
Erin says:

November 18, 2018 at 6:59 pm

A&M requires all scores, please do not mislead others

- Ash Kramer says:
  
  November 19, 2018 at 9:49 am
  
  Hi Erin,
  
  Thank you for the note. We’ve updated our resources.
  
Aurora says:

October 19, 2018 at 9:22 pm

Hello, if a college like CMU requires all SAT and ACT scores does that mean they also require all subject scores?

- Art Sawyer says:
  
  October 22, 2018 at 11:45 am
  
  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.

Superscoring

Score Choice

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