True or False - you aren't required to send all ACT scores?

[Ann.without.an.e]

I went to a workshop led by a college entrance expert.  She stated that all SAT scores need to be reported, but that you can send only your best ACT score and you do not need to report them all.  Since the SAT is one price, whether you send one score or all scores, colleges expect to see all scores, but since the ACT charges per test date, colleges cannot expect you to pay for each score sent.  She was stating that as an advantage to taking the ACT.  You can take it as many times as you want and send one test date.  With the SAT, she says all scores will show and if you repetitively take it, it could look bad.  I am just throwing this out here to those with more experience to see....is this true? 

[Teachin'Mine]

Not true for all colleges. Yale, as one example, requires all ACT test scores if you choose to send the ACT with writing rather than the SAT and SAT II tests.  If you opt to send the SAT and SAT II tests, they require all of those test scores.

[dirty ethel rackham]

And it is not necessarily true that taking the test multiple times automatically counts against you.  Some school superscore the test results (taking the highest component score out of all attempts) so it can work to the applicant's advantage to take it more than once.

[regentrude]

It all depends on the college. Some require ALL test scores. Others allow the applicant to choose which scores from which dates to send.

Some superscore, which means they expect the applicant to try several times.

 

As for the claim that colleges can not expect the student to send multiples ACT scores because of the reporting fees: that is laughable.

Colleges charge application fees and expect you to pay them. And the score reporting fee is a tiny drop in the bucket compared to what the college will charge you should your student attend.

[creekland]

There is no one answer for this as others have mentioned.  I'm surprised she calls herself a college entrance expert and doesn't realize this as it's pretty basic at this point.

 

Some schools require ALL scores to be sent.

 

Some tell you to send your best score (ACT or SAT).

 

Others (many) will superscore either test taking your highest score from each subsection.  Note that some of these will only use your best score from one sitting for scholarships.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

The SAT has Score Choice which lets a student pick which scores they want sent.

 

IIRC CB charges for the score choice option above the regular report fee.

 

CB also tells students that they should follow the school's policy on whether to send some or all scores. There is a massive document that shows what each college wants. When I looked, most schools either had a super score policy or wanted all test scores anyway. So my impression was that Score Choice was more of a CB business decision than anything needed.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Oh and I'd be leery of advice from that college expert too. Sounds like the info is dated, partial or misunderstood.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Listing of college score use policies.

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat-score-use-practices-list.pdf