Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 08:54     Subject: When to submit test scores?
They will just assume your high school's average SAT. If your HS average is 1200 and you have a 1480 then use the 1480.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 05:07     Subject: When to submit test scores?
Your DC should take the test again.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2025 00:32     Subject: When to submit test scores?
Anonymous wrote:Those scores are so high, I am sure most students go TO.


Agree.

Did you list the school? If it’s a school like ND, WashU or Vanderbilt absolutely do not submit that test score.

What is the major?

Does he have a lot of 5s on his AP tests? Which ones?

If you give us more information about the school and the major then people can give you a very nuanced response.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 22:41     Subject: When to submit test scores?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, this is a much more nuanced question than many on this board would have you believe. Many on this board resent test optional admissions, especially at “selective schools,” because they feel it disadvantages high scorers and undermines the applicant pool. You really have to look at several factors. If the school is TO, what percentage of admitted applicants submitted scores? If that number is low, you can feel confident applying TO if on the fence. Also, what does the testing distribution at your HS look like? If the school average is high, and lots of peers with higher scores will likely apply to the same school, TO might also make sense. As others have mentioned, there are also situations where you should not report a high scorers because it is below the college’s 25%. This is really something you should talk out with your counselor.


1480 is the one and only time he took it.

I don’t know how I can find out the testing distribution from my kid’s public high school. Is that even public data?

I don’t have a private counselor so I will ask our guidance counselor but I don’t know if he will be able to help he seems so busy.

This is just as complicated as I worried it would be. Uuuggghhh.


If he only took it once I’d have him study a bit and take it again. Could easily go up a bit, and with superscoring you only need one of them to go up to improve.

Good luck!
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 22:38     Subject: When to submit test scores?
PP here. Setting aside the TO question, 1480 is a very high score and is a no brainer at all but mayb 15(?) or so of the top universities that are still TO and the top 20ish SLACS which are all TO.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 22:19     Subject: When to submit test scores?
The high school's score distribution should be on the School Profile document, which can usually be found in a college counseling section on the high school's website.

I think not submitting 1480 would be a mistake, as in most cases it is better than applying test optional.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 22:17     Subject: When to submit test scores?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What do you mean section? He didn’t take any subject tests. He has all fives on various APs except one four in physics. How can I find out the average SAT score at his high school? He wants to major in anthropology or some kind of social science.

Section just means the breakdown of math vs verbal, which you’ve now answered separately.

I agree with a pp that you should submit if the 1480 is at or even just under the 25th percentile, especially for test optional schools where the published scores are skewed higher because lower scores aren’t submitted. Likely he should submit that score everywhere.

I’ve only skimmed so I may have missed someone saying this, but you can find the 25th and 50th percentile score in each school’s Common Data Set, or CDS. Google “CDS [name of school]”. Scroll down to the section about scores (I think maybe section C? Or D? I’ve forgotten, sorry).


Thank you! I just looked at this for one of the high up schools he likes:

25%=1500
50%=1530
75%=1550

What does this mean? Only 25% of students scored lower than a 1500? And so he should do test optional at 1480? According to that view, right?

I see now other people said if he’s less than the 50% number don’t submit. Another person said don’t submit less than 1500 no matter what. And someone else said, just submit 1480 everywhere.

Again, I’m sorry for my lack of knowledge here- both in terms of math and college admissions!



yeah you should apply test optional if that's the profile of the school you're interested in.

there are many lower ranked schools for which 1480 would be 50th percentile tho!
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 22:12     Subject: When to submit test scores?
Anonymous wrote:OP, this is a much more nuanced question than many on this board would have you believe. Many on this board resent test optional admissions, especially at “selective schools,” because they feel it disadvantages high scorers and undermines the applicant pool. You really have to look at several factors. If the school is TO, what percentage of admitted applicants submitted scores? If that number is low, you can feel confident applying TO if on the fence. Also, what does the testing distribution at your HS look like? If the school average is high, and lots of peers with higher scores will likely apply to the same school, TO might also make sense. As others have mentioned, there are also situations where you should not report a high scorers because it is below the college’s 25%. This is really something you should talk out with your counselor.


1480 is the one and only time he took it.

I don’t know how I can find out the testing distribution from my kid’s public high school. Is that even public data?

I don’t have a private counselor so I will ask our guidance counselor but I don’t know if he will be able to help he seems so busy.

This is just as complicated as I worried it would be. Uuuggghhh.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 21:42     Subject: When to submit test scores?
OP, this is a much more nuanced question than many on this board would have you believe. Many on this board resent test optional admissions, especially at “selective schools,” because they feel it disadvantages high scorers and undermines the applicant pool. You really have to look at several factors. If the school is TO, what percentage of admitted applicants submitted scores? If that number is low, you can feel confident applying TO if on the fence. Also, what does the testing distribution at your HS look like? If the school average is high, and lots of peers with higher scores will likely apply to the same school, TO might also make sense. As others have mentioned, there are also situations where you should not report a high scorers because it is below the college’s 25%. This is really something you should talk out with your counselor.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 21:41     Subject: When to submit test scores?
Is 1480 the superscore?
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 19:30     Subject: When to submit test scores?
Anonymous wrote:What does the percentage of students submitting scores do to the calculation of whether to submit a 1480 in this case, for example?

If most enrolled students submitted scores, then submit the 1480, because the college cares about scores.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 19:19     Subject: When to submit test scores?
What does the percentage of students submitting scores do to the calculation of whether to submit a 1480 in this case, for example?
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 19:16     Subject: When to submit test scores?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What do you mean section? He didn’t take any subject tests. He has all fives on various APs except one four in physics. How can I find out the average SAT score at his high school? He wants to major in anthropology or some kind of social science.

Section just means the breakdown of math vs verbal, which you’ve now answered separately.

I agree with a pp that you should submit if the 1480 is at or even just under the 25th percentile, especially for test optional schools where the published scores are skewed higher because lower scores aren’t submitted. Likely he should submit that score everywhere.

I’ve only skimmed so I may have missed someone saying this, but you can find the 25th and 50th percentile score in each school’s Common Data Set, or CDS. Google “CDS [name of school]”. Scroll down to the section about scores (I think maybe section C? Or D? I’ve forgotten, sorry).


Thank you! I just looked at this for one of the high up schools he likes:

25%=1500
50%=1530
75%=1550

What does this mean? Only 25% of students scored lower than a 1500? And so he should do test optional at 1480? According to that view, right?

I see now other people said if he’s less than the 50% number don’t submit. Another person said don’t submit less than 1500 no matter what. And someone else said, just submit 1480 everywhere.

Again, I’m sorry for my lack of knowledge here- both in terms of math and college admissions!


You also need to look at the % of students submitting scores, just above the score data.

I would still submit 1480, personally (DP).