Okay, here’s the question with added context, as if I’m the original asker:
I’m taking the SAT this fall and I’m really stressed about getting a good score. I know colleges can be super competitive. I heard something about "score choice" and being able to pick which scores you send to colleges, but I’m not sure if that’s still a thing for the SAT. Does the College Board still offer it? Like, can I take the SAT multiple times and ONLY send the highest score to the colleges I’m applying to, or do I have to send all my scores, even the bad ones? It would be so much less stressful if I could just send my best score. So, is score choice available for the SAT, and if not, what’s the deal? What do colleges see? Are there any that require all scores even if score choice IS technically allowed? Ugh, this is all so confusing!
Answer
Yes, Score Choice was available for the SAT, but it is no longer offered by the College Board.
Here’s a detailed explanation:
What Score Choice Was:
Score Choice was a feature offered by the College Board that allowed students taking the SAT to choose which scores they wanted to send to colleges. The idea behind it was to give students more control over their applications, particularly if they took the SAT multiple times.
How Score Choice Worked (When it Existed):
- Taking the SAT Multiple Times: Students could take the SAT as many times as they wished.
- Viewing Scores: After each test administration, students could view their scores online.
- Choosing Which Scores to Send: When sending scores to colleges, students had the option to select specific test dates they wanted to share. They didn’t have to send all their scores.
- College Policies: The effectiveness of Score Choice depended on the policies of the colleges to which the student was applying. Colleges generally fell into a few categories:
- Score Choice Accepted: These colleges allowed students to use Score Choice and only considered the scores the student submitted.
- Highest Section Scores Across Dates (Superscoring): Some colleges used "superscoring," meaning they would take the highest score from each section (Math, Reading, Writing & Language) across all the test dates a student submitted. While they might accept Score Choice in theory, they often encouraged students to submit all scores so they could create the best possible superscore.
- All Scores Required: These colleges required students to submit all of their SAT scores. They wanted to see a complete testing history.
Why Score Choice Was Eliminated:
The College Board discontinued Score Choice for several reasons, primarily related to equity and transparency:
- Equity Concerns: Critics argued that Score Choice gave an unfair advantage to students who could afford to take the SAT multiple times and selectively submit their best scores. Students from lower-income backgrounds might not have the same opportunities to retake the test.
- Simplification: Eliminating Score Choice streamlined the score reporting process for both students and colleges.
- Encouraging Preparation: The College Board emphasized the importance of adequate test preparation, rather than relying on multiple attempts and Score Choice to achieve a desired score.
Current SAT Score Reporting Policies:
As of the current date, the College Board requires students to send all scores from all administrations of the SAT. Colleges then decide how they will use those scores in the admissions process. Many colleges still superscore the SAT. Therefore, even though you send all your scores, the college might just use the highest score you got on each section of the test. It is important to check the specific policies of the colleges you plan to apply to.
