The good news about test scores: Score choice, super scoring, and choice of tests

By General Education Advice

The current college admissions testing reality is far more student friendly than in the past.

Choice of Test:  All colleges will take the SAT or the ACT.  In my estimation, the differences in scoring well on one and not the other have always been overstated but psychology the ability to choose makes a big difference.  It is part of the reason why we shifted our SAT classes in Old Saybrook and Madison to SAT-ACT classes.

Super-Scoring: Most colleges will take the best score in each section from different SAT/ACT tests.  For example, if a student scores best on the Verbal section on the March SAT and best on the Math section on the May SAT, colleges will cobble together their “super scores.”

Score Choice: While the two testing friendly options above are wonderful, score choice might best of all.  Most colleges will allow students to submit only scores of their choice.  So for example, if the March SAT goes poorly, students won’t send the score to colleges. It is, as if, that SAT test never happened.

It used to be that every test counted, that we could only take the SAT, and that there was no mixing of scores to get one high score.  While I know most parents would not want to take the tests again, the test taking framework is clearly better today than in the past.