SAT Score Choice & Sending Scores: What Colleges Actually Receive

SAT Score Choice lets you choose which test dates to send when ordering SAT score reports.

It does not let you build your own score report by mixing individual sections before sending.

What Score Choice can do

Suppose:

March:

• R&W 700
• Math 730

June:

• R&W 750
• Math 690

You can choose:

• March;
• June;
• both,

depending on the college's policy.

What Score Choice cannot do

You cannot tell College Board:

“Send March Math but hide March R&W.”

Each selected test date is sent as a complete SAT result.

If the college superscores, the college may then combine your strongest sections.

Free score sends

College Board says weekend SAT students can choose up to four organizations for free score sends.

There is a deadline for using/changing those free sends after testing.

Important:

Score Choice is not available in the same way for those free registration/test-day score sends, so read the current College Board instructions before selecting recipients.

Should you use the free sends?

Possible advantage:

• saves score-report fees.

Possible downside:

• you may be choosing recipients before you have fully evaluated your score. See what counts as a good SAT score to help evaluate that before committing your free sends.

Your best choice depends on:

• budget;
• college policy;
• confidence in the test;
• whether the institution requires all scores.

Some colleges require all scores

Score Choice is a College Board feature.

A college may still require applicants to submit all SAT administrations under its admissions rules.

Follow the institution's policy. For more on how scores factor into admissions, see our SAT score guides.

If a college superscores

You may want to send the test dates containing your strongest section scores.

Example:

March: 710 R&W / 750 Math

June: 760 R&W / 710 Math

If the college superscores, both dates could produce:

[ 760 + 750 = 1510 ]

Check the college's exact instructions. See our full guide to SAT superscoring for how colleges combine section scores.

If a college uses highest single sitting

Then your best one-day total may matter more than your combined best sections.

Do not assume superscoring.

If a college is test optional

You may not need to send a score at all.

First decide:

• whether the score strengthens your application;
• then decide which dates to send.

If you're unsure whether your current scores are strong enough to send, our guide on whether to retake the SAT can help you decide.

How long do score reports take?

College Board says additional score reports are generally sent after the request is processed, but colleges can take additional time to receive/process them.

Do not wait until the final day before an application deadline.

Create a score-send sheet

This prevents expensive or stressful last-minute mistakes.

International students

Score-send rules are still set by the receiving college.

Pay attention to:

• US application time zones;
• processing time;
• scholarship deadlines.

Bottom line

Score Choice controls which complete SAT dates College Board sends.

Superscoring controls how a college may combine section scores after receiving them.

College requirements control what you are supposed to submit.

Keep those three ideas separate.

Official sources

• College Board Score Choice
  https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/scores/sending-sat-scores/additional/score-choice
• College Board: Can I send only part of my score?
  https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/help-center/can-i-choose-send-only-part-my-sat-score
• College Board: Score-send fees/free sends
  https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/help-center/there-fee-sending-scores

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