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.

Updated 2/25/19

School	Superscore SAT	Superscore ACT	Score Choice
Abilene Christian University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Amherst College	Yes	Yes	Score Choice OK
Berry College	Yes	No	Recommends all
Boston University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Carroll College	No	No	Recommends all
Centre College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Chapman University	Yes	No	Recommends all
Clark University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Colby College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
College of Charleston	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
College of St. Benedict	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Colorado State University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Cooper Union	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Davidson College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Drexel University	Yes	No	Recommends all
Duquesne University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Elon University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Emory University	Yes	No	Recommends all
Florida Institute of Technology	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Florida State University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
George Mason University	Yes	No	Recommends all
Georgia Institute of Technology	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Goshen College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Hampden-Sydney College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Harvey Mudd College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Haverford College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Hofstra University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Illinois Institute of Technology	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Johns Hopkins University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Kenyon College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Lake Forest College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Luther College	Yes	No	Recommends all
Macalester College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Miami University—Oxford	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Middlebury College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Millsaps College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Milwaukee School of Engineering	No	No	Recommends all
New College of Florida	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
New Jersey Institute of Technology	Yes	No	Recommends all
North Carolina State University—Raleigh	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
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
Pennsylvania State University—University Park	No	No	Recommends all
Pomona College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Princeton University	Yes	No	Recommends all
Providence College	Yes	Yes*	Recommends all
Quinnipiac University	Yes	No	Recommends all
Randolph-Macon College	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Reed College	Yes	No	Recommends all
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
San Diego State University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Seattle University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Seton Hall University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Siena College	Yes	No	Recommends all
Southwestern University	Yes	No	Recommends all
St. John's College Annapolis	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
St. Mary's College of California	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
St. Mary's College of Maryland	Yes	No	Recommends all
Stony Brook University—SUNY	Yes	No	Recommends all
Susquehanna University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Temple University	Yes	No	Recommends all
Texas Christian University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Texas Lutheran University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Tufts University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
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 Dallas	Yes	No	Recommends all
University of Delaware	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
University of Kentucky	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
University of Minnesota—Twin Cities	No	No	Recommends all
University of New Hampshire	Yes	No	Recommends all
University of North Carolina—Wilmington	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
University of Pittsburgh	Yes	No	Recommends all
University of Redlands	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
University of San Francisco	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
University of South Florida	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
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 the Pacific	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
University of Vermont	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
University of Wisconsin—Madison	No	No	Recommends all
Valparaiso University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Vanderbilt University	Yes	No	Recommends all
Villanova University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Virginia Military Institute	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Washington and Lee University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Washington State University	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Cornell University	Yes*	No	Requires all ACT; SAT Score Choice OK
Barnard College	Yes	No	Requires all SAT or ACT
Carnegie Mellon University	Yes	No	Requires all SAT or ACT
Rice University	Yes	Yes*	Recommends all
Soka University of America	Yes	Yes	Requires all SAT or ACT
The Citadel	Yes	No	Requires all SAT or ACT
University of Miami	Yes	Yes	Recommends all
Yale University	Yes	Yes	Requires all SAT or ACT
Georgetown University	Yes	No	Requires all scores
Syracuse University	Yes	Yes	Requires all scores
Texas A&M University—College Station	No	No	Score choice OK
University of South Carolina	Yes	No	Score choice OK
University of Washington	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
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
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
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
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
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
Case Western Reserve University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Christopher Newport University	Yes	No	Score choice OK
Claremont McKenna College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Clarkson University	No	No	Score choice OK
Clemson University	Yes	No	Score choice OK
Coe College	No	No	Score choice OK
Colgate University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
College of New Jersey	Yes	No	Score choice OK
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
Columbia University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Concordia College—Moorhead	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Connecticut College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Cornell College	Yes	Yes	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
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
Drury University	No	No	Score choice OK
Duke University	Yes*	Yes*	Score choice OK
Earlham College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Elmhurst College	No	No	Score choice OK
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Emerson College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Fairfield University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Fordham University	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 Washington University	Yes	No	Score choice OK
Gettysburg College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Gonzaga University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
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
Hampton University	Yes	No	Score choice OK
Hanover College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Harvard University*	Yes	No	Score choice OK
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
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 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
Kalamazoo College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Knox College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Lafayette College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
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
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
Michigan State University	No	No	Score choice OK
Michigan Technological University	No	No	Score choice OK
Mills College	Yes	No	Score choice OK
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 School	No	No	Score choice OK
New York University	Yes	Yes*	Score choice OK
Northeastern University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Northwestern University	Yes	No	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
Pacific Lutheran University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Pepperdine University	Yes	No	Score choice OK
Pitzer College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Point Loma Nazarene University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Pratt Institute	Yes	No	Score choice OK
Presbyterian College (SC)	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Purdue University—West Lafayette	Yes	Yes*	Score choice OK
Queens University of Charlotte	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
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
Ripon College	No	No	Score choice OK
Rochester Institute of Technology	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Rollins College	Yes	No	Score choice OK
Saint Louis University	No	No	Score choice OK
Samford University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
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
Sewanee—University of the South	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Simmons College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Skidmore College	Yes	No	Score choice OK
Smith College	Yes	No	Score choice OK
Southern Methodist University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Spelman College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
St. John Fisher College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
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. 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
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
SUNY—Geneseo	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Swarthmore College	Yes	Yes*	Score choice OK
Taylor University	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
The Catholic University of America	Yes	No	Score choice OK
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
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 Connecticut	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
University of Dayton	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
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 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 Michigan—Ann Arbor	Yes*	Yes*	Score choice OK
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 North Carolina—Chapel Hill	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
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 Portland	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
University of Puget Sound	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
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 Southern California	Yes	No	Score choice OK
University of Texas—Dallas	Yes	No	Score choice OK
University of Tulsa	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
University of Utah	No	No	Score choice OK
University of Virginia	Yes*	Yes*	Score choice OK
Ursinus College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Vassar College	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Virginia Commonwealth University	Yes	No	Score choice OK
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 College	Yes	No	Score choice OK
Washington University in St. Louis	Yes	Yes	Score choice OK
Wellesley College	No	No	Score choice OK
Wesleyan 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
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.

142 Comments

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.
  
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.
  
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.
  
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.
  
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.
  
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.
  
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!
  
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.
  
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.
      
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.
  
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.
  
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.
  
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.
  
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
  
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!
  
Sandy says:

July 20, 2019 at 4:31 am

Thanks so much!

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