SAT Superscore
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Anonymous
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I posted this on the independent school forum but thought I might also get some good feedback here:
Does superscoring the SAT test work against the applicant? I would think taking the SAT multiple times would work against you but I've seen a few college websites that say they have no problem taking combined scores. Though they say it's no problem, I wonder in the back of their minds does admissions have some reservations about someone taking the test so many times. I understand that SAT sends all scores even if you don't want all sent regardless if you take it the 3rd time and score 2400. |
Anonymous
Colleges want to report the highest score possible so they are happy for superscoring. They pretty much all do superscores and unless you are taking the SATs 5-6 times I don't think they will hold it against you. The only thing they might be wary of is if you focus only on CR one test, only on math the next, etc. They want to see some consistency in test dates. You also have the option of Score Choice, which allows you to select the scores you send to the colleges. So if the 3rd times the charm you only send that test date. You do have to send all score from a particular date, but not all dates. There are a few schools who do not allow score choice but only a handful. |
Anonymous
| We just did score choice, but it turned out the best one's were on the third and final SAT DS took. |
Anonymous
| One college said on its tour that they don't see how many times you've taken the test -- the scores are already "super" by the time they see them. So some computer (or work study student) picks and reports only the highest score from each section and reports just one (super) score to the admissions committee. |
Anonymous
So then you only sent the scores from the 3rd test date right? That's what score choice is for. |
Anonymous
| Of the 25 colleges my kids have applied to over the last 3 years, I don't recall any of them taking "Score Choice" (I seem to recall that all the colleges asked for all the test scores and all (except Michigan) said it would super score). |
Anonymous
| Colleges love for you to cut and paste to end up with higher scores because it helps with their rankings. Ridiculous, offensive, sad . . . but true. |
Anonymous
Not our experience - my DC applied to 10 selective schools, including several Ivies, and only 2 required all scores. Definitely more acceptance of score choice this year than 3 years ago when we went through the process the first time. |
Anonymous
Our experience of colleges asking for all scores is for colleges ranked at about 50 on USNWR. So, not considered "selective" around here. |
Anonymous
Interesting. My DC applied to several in the 30-50 range a couple of years ago and several were score optional. DCs ACT scores were good so he sent them anyway. OP, you can certainly look at the score policies for the schools your DC is interested in. The ones I specifically recall requiring all scores were Georgetown, UPenn and I think Boston College. When you go on the SAT site to send the scores it will indicate if the school requires all scores. Basically the SAT system will preselect for you - if the school allows score choice it will check just the dates that include your highest scores. If the school does not allow score choice it will select all dates. |
Anonymous
| The only test optional "top" school that I'm aware of is Wake Forest. |
Anonymous
A few others include Bowdoin, Bates, Bryn Mawr, Dickinson, Colby, Colorado College, Conn College, Denison, Mt Holyoke, Pitzer. Some are also test flexible, like Middlebury, Hamilton and NYU. |
Anonymous
| Sarah Lawrence is test optional. |
Anonymous
| Test optional is misleading in that many applicants submit their scores so scores play a role in admissions. |
Anonymous
Yes, that's what we did. |