SAT Score Sending Guide — Everything You Need to Know
How to send your SAT scores to colleges — free sends, Score Choice, deadlines, costs, and whether to send scores before or after your test.
Your 4 Free SAT Score Sends — How They Work
Every SAT registration includes 4 free score reports that can be sent to any college or university in the College Board system. Understanding the deadline and how free sends work is critical to saving money.
Deadline
Free sends must be designated by 11:59 PM Eastern on the Thursday before your test date. After this deadline, free sends for that registration are forfeited — you cannot claim them retroactively.
When Scores Go Out
Free sends are delivered after scores are released — approximately 2–3 weeks after the test date for the digital SAT. You designate the colleges before the test, but scores reach them after release.
What Gets Sent
By default, free sends include all scores from all test dates unless you actively apply Score Choice during the free send designation process. Score Choice must be explicitly selected.
Should You Use Free Sends Before or After Seeing Your Score?
Use free sends before the test if:
- You are confident in your preparation
- Your college list is finalized
- The 4 colleges are definite targets
- You want to save money ($52+ value)
Wait until after scores if:
- You are uncertain about your performance
- Your college list may change
- This is a practice / exploratory sitting
- Application deadlines are not imminent
SAT Score Choice — How to Send Only Your Best Scores
Score Choice is College Board's policy allowing you to select which test date scores to send to each college. This is your primary tool for controlling what colleges see — with important limitations.
How Score Choice Works
- You choose at the test date level — e.g. send only your March scores, not your October scores
- You cannot pick individual sections across dates — sending EBRW from one sitting and Math from another is superscoring, done by the college, not you
- Score Choice is the default from College Board — but you must actively select test dates during the sending process
- Without actively applying Score Choice, all scores from all dates are sent by default
Score Choice Strategy
- Send your highest total score sitting to colleges that do not superscore
- Send all sittings that contribute to your best superscore at colleges that superscore
- Always check each college's policy before deciding — Score Choice is not available at all-scores-required colleges
- Score Choice is applied per-college — you can send different test dates to different schools
Colleges That Require All SAT Scores
Some colleges require students to submit all SAT scores from every testing date, regardless of Score Choice. Understanding why these policies exist — and why they are less threatening than they appear — helps you approach score sending strategically.
Why Colleges Require All Scores
Colleges that require all scores want to see the full testing history to:
- Assess consistency of academic performance over time
- Superscore most accurately using all available data
- Evaluate growth trajectory — improvement over time is viewed positively
- Obtain the most complete academic picture of each applicant
Notable All-Scores-Required Colleges
Policies change — always verify directly on each college's testing policy page.
- Stanford University — requires all scores
- MIT — requires all scores
- Some other highly selective institutions
- Most Ivy League schools accept Score Choice
The Reality of All-Scores Policies
A few lower scores on earlier attempts rarely hurt you significantly at all-scores-required colleges. Admissions officers at selective institutions understand that students improve over multiple attempts — a lower first attempt followed by strong subsequent scores demonstrates growth and persistence.
Most colleges with all-scores policies also superscore — they take your best section scores across all submitted sittings. The requirement to submit all scores does not mean every score hurts you. Your best performance is still what matters most, and sending all scores allows the college to construct the most favorable superscore from your results.
Sending SAT Scores After Application Deadlines — What You Need to Know
Most students do not realize that application deadlines and score deadlines are different. Understanding this distinction prevents missed deadlines and unnecessary stress.
Application vs Score Deadline
Most colleges have a separate score deadline that is 2–4 weeks after the application deadline. A November 1 Early Decision deadline may accept scores received by November 15.
Sending Scores After Applying
You can submit your application and send scores later. College Board matches official scores to your application using your name, date of birth, and high school. Many students self-report scores on applications and send official scores after.
Digital SAT Score Timing
Digital SAT scores are released approximately 2–3 weeks after the test. If your test is close to an application deadline, verify scores will be released in time. October tests are risky for November 1 deadlines.
Recommended Test Dates by Application Deadline
| Application Type | App Deadline | Score Deadline | Latest SAT Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I / Early Action | Nov 1 | ~Nov 15 | October SAT | October scores typically released before Nov 15 |
| Early Decision II | Jan 1 | ~Jan 15 | December SAT | December scores released ~late Dec |
| Regular Decision | Jan 1 | ~Jan 15 | December SAT | Most common deadline |
| Regular Decision (late) | Feb 1 | ~Feb 15 | December SAT | Some schools have Feb RD deadlines |
| Rolling Admissions | Varies | Varies | As early as possible | Apply and send scores as early as possible |
Always verify the specific score deadline on each college's admissions website — deadlines vary.
SAT Score Sending Cost Guide
Calculate your total score sending cost. The base price is $13 per report beyond your 4 free sends. Rush delivery adds $31 per report. Fee waiver students receive up to 8 free sends total.
Max 50
Total colleges
6
4 free · 2 paid
Report cost
$26
2 × $13
Rush surcharge
$0
Not selected
Total cost
$26
$52 saved via free sends
Quick Reference Cost Table
| Scenario | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 colleges — free sends used before deadline | $0 | All 4 reports covered by free sends |
| 5 colleges — 4 free + 1 paid | $13 | 1 additional report at $13 |
| 6 colleges — 4 free + 2 paid | $26 | 2 additional reports at $13 each |
| 8 colleges — 4 free + 4 paid | $52 | 4 additional reports |
| 10 colleges — 4 free + 6 paid | $78 | 6 additional reports |
| Rush delivery — 1 college | $44 | $13 base + $31 rush surcharge |
| Fee waiver — 8 colleges (8 free sends) | $0 | Fee waiver students receive up to 8 free sends |
Superscoring Strategy — Which Scores to Send
Superscoring is when a college takes your highest section score from each SAT sitting to create the best possible composite. Understanding superscoring determines which sittings you should send.
Superscore Example
| Sitting | EBRW | Math | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sitting 1 (October) | 680 | 640 | 1320 |
| Sitting 2 (March) | 650 | 700 | 1350 |
| Superscore | 680 | 700 | 1380 |
By sending both sittings to a superscoring college, the student benefits from a 1380 superscore vs. their best single sitting of 1350 — a 30-point improvement at no additional strategic cost.
Superscoring Colleges
- Send all sittings that contribute to your best superscore
- The college automatically takes the best section from each date
- Sending only your best single sitting to a superscoring college is a missed opportunity
Non-Superscoring Colleges
- These colleges look at your best single sitting total score
- Use Score Choice to send only your highest total sitting
- Check the college's testing policy for explicit superscoring language
Sending SAT Scores for Scholarships and Special Programs
Beyond standard college admissions, several programs and organizations require official SAT scores through separate sending processes.
NCAA Eligibility Center
Student athletes must send official SAT scores directly from College Board to the NCAA Eligibility Center using institution code 9999. This is a separate send from college admissions and costs $13.
Military Academies
West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and other military academies require SAT scores sent directly. Use standard College Board score sending to their institution codes.
National Merit Scholarship
National Merit uses PSAT/NMSQT scores for initial selection — not SAT scores. However, finalists may need to submit SAT scores to colleges as part of their scholarship verification through standard score sending.
International & Dual Enrollment
International colleges that accept SAT scores can receive electronic score reports through the same College Board process. Dual enrollment and early college programs use standard score sending to the program's institution code.
Step-by-Step SAT Score Sending Guide
Follow these steps exactly to send SAT scores through your College Board account.
Log into your College Board account
Go to collegeboard.org and sign in to your student account. Create an account if you do not have one.
Navigate to My SAT Scores
In your account dashboard, find the SAT section and select 'My SAT Scores' to view all your test results.
Select "Send SAT Scores"
Click the score sending option. You will be able to send scores from the registration free send window or order additional reports.
Search for your colleges
Search by college name or College Board institution code. Use institution codes to ensure you find the correct campus or department — some universities have multiple codes.
Apply Score Choice (if eligible)
For each college that accepts Score Choice, select which test date(s) to send. If you want to send all dates, no selection is needed — all scores send by default.
Choose standard or rush delivery
Standard delivery is 1–5 business days. Rush delivery is 1–2 business days but costs an additional $31 per report on top of the $13 base fee.
Complete payment
Free sends within the registration deadline cost nothing. Additional reports are $13 each. Rush adds $31 per report. Pay by credit/debit card.
Confirm your order
Review your order carefully — double-check institution codes and Score Choice selections. College Board will email a confirmation.
Scores are delivered electronically
College Board sends scores electronically. Standard delivery reaches colleges within 1–5 business days. Colleges may take additional time to post scores to your application file.
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