SAT/ACT Advice

[Karen in StL]

My son just started high school and I wanted to begin preparing him for taking the SAT/ACT. I have a question on test scores. When you apply to a college or for a scholarship, are all test scores reported or just the highest? IOW, if he bombs the first time, and does better the next, are both sets of scores reported to the institution receiving them? Or can you pick a certain testing date to send?

Thanks for any information you can give me.

[Michelle in AL]

There is a place on the ACT test where you can request that scores be sent to certain collegese for free. IF you don't fill that out, then for a fee you can send only the scores you want to the colleges you want so you can choose which scores to send.

 

Not sure about the SAT.

[K-FL]

SAT used to send every score, but now they're doing Score Choice.

[Karen in StL]

Thank you both for the information. It was most helpful.

[TravelingChris]

Many schools honor the SAT's score choice but most of the top schools don't. It all depends what schools you son will apply to. WE just did the ACT and completely evaded that issue. We will only send the scores we want and that turned out to be very helpful. On one exam day, dd did better on all her test parts except the one were the proctor called five minute warning about fifteen or twenty minutes too early. That one had a drop of 5 points. The other one we aren't reporting is one where she accidentally took her morning medicine in the evening and ended up not sleeping at all the night before the exam. Her math and science scores suffered.