college board sat essay scores

SAT Essay Scores Explained

On january 19th, 2021, college board announced that they will no longer administer the sat subject tests in the u.s. and that the essay would be retired. read our blog post  to understand what this means in the near term and what the college board has in store for students down the road., our articles on subject tests and the sat essay will remain on our site for reference purposes as colleges and students transition to a revised testing landscape..

Why are there no percentiles for the essay on an SAT score report?

No percentiles or norms are provided in student reports. Even colleges do not receive any summary statistics. Given Compass’ concerns about the inaccuracy of essay scoring and the notable failures of the ACT on that front, the de-emphasis of norms would seem to be a good thing. The problem is that 10% of colleges are sticking with the SAT Essay as an admission requirement . While those colleges will not receive score distribution reports from the College Board, it is not difficult for them to construct their own statistics—officially or unofficially—based on thousands of applicants. Colleges can determine a “good score,” but students cannot. This asymmetry of information is harmful to students, as they are left to speculate how well they have performed and how their scores will be interpreted. Through our analysis, Compass hopes to provide students and parents more context for evaluating SAT Essay scores.

How has scoring changed? Is it still part of a student’s Total Score?

On the old SAT, the essay was a required component of the Writing section and made up approximately one-third of a student’s 200–800 score. The essay score itself was simply the sum (2–12) of two readers’ 1–6 scores. Readers were expected to grade holistically and not to focus on individual components of the writing. The SAT essay came under a great deal of criticism for being too loosely structured. Factual accuracy was not required; it was not that difficult to make pre-fabricated material fit the prompt; many colleges found the 2–12 essay scores of little use; and the conflation of the essay and “Writing” was, in some cases, blocking the use of the SAT Writing score—which included grammar and usage—entirely.

With the 2016 overhaul of the SAT came an attempt to make the essay more academically defensible while also making it optional (as the ACT essay had long been). The essay score is not a part of the 400–1600 score. Instead, a student opting to take the SAT Essay receives 2–8 scores in three dimensions: reading, analysis, and writing. No equating or fancy lookup table is involved. The scores are simply the sum of two readers’ 1–4 ratings in each dimension. There is no official totaling or averaging of scores, although colleges may choose to do so.

Readers avoid extremes

What is almost universally true about grading of standardized test essays is that readers gravitate to the middle of the scale. The default instinct is to nudge a score above or below a perceived cutoff or midpoint rather than to evenly distribute scores. When the only options are 1, 2, 3, or 4, the consequence is predictable—readers give out a lot of 2s and 3s and very few 1s and 4s. In fact, our analysis shows that 80% of all reader scores are 2s or 3s. This, in turn, means that most of the dimension scores (the sum of the two readers) range from 4 to 6. Analysis scores are outliers. A third of readers give essays a 1 in Analysis. Below is the distribution of reader scores across all dimensions.

What is a good SAT Essay score?

By combining multiple data sources—including extensive College Board scoring information—Compass has estimated the mean and mode (most common) essay scores for students at various score levels. We also found that the reading and writing dimensions were similar, while analysis scores lagged by a point across all sub-groups. These figures should not be viewed as cutoffs for “good” scores. The loose correlation of essay score to Total Score and the high standard deviation of essay scores means that students at all levels see wide variation of scores. The average essay-taking student scores a 1,080 on the SAT and receives just under a 5/4/5.

College Board recently released essay results for the class of 2017, so score distributions are now available. From these, percentiles can also be calculated. We provide these figures with mixed feelings. On the one hand, percentile scores on such an imperfect measure can be highly misleading. On the other hand, we feel that students should understand the full workings of essay scores.

The role of luck

What is frustrating to many students on the SAT and ACT is that they can score 98th percentile in most areas and then get a “middling” score on the essay. This result is actually quite predictable. Whereas math and verbal scores are the result of dozens of objective questions, the essay is a single question graded subjectively. To replace statistical concepts with a colloquial one—far more “luck” is involved than on the multiple-choice sections. What text is used in the essay stimulus? How well will the student respond to the style and subject matter? Which of the hundreds of readers were assigned to grade the student’s essay? What other essays has the reader recently scored?

Even good writers run into the unpredictability involved and the fact that essay readers give so few high scores. A 5 means that the Readers A and B gave the essay a 2 and a 3, respectively. Which reader was “right?” If the essay had encountered two readers like Reader A, it would have received a 4. If the essay had been given two readers like Reader B, it would have received a 6. That swing makes a large difference if we judge scores exclusively by percentiles, but essay scores are simply too blurry to make such cut-and-dry distinctions. More than 80% of students receive one of three scores—4, 5, or 6 on the reading and writing dimensions and 3, 4, or 5 on analysis.

What do colleges expect?

It’s unlikely that many colleges will release a breakdown of essay scores for admitted students—especially since so few are requiring it. What we know from experience with the ACT , though, is that even at the most competitive schools in the country, the 25th–75th percentile scores of admitted students were 8–10 on the ACT’s old 2–12 score range. We expect that things will play out similarly for the SAT and that most students admitted to highly selective colleges will have domain scores in the 5–7 range (possibly closer to 4–6 for analysis). It’s even less likely for students to average a high score across all three areas than it is to obtain a single high mark. We estimate that only a fraction of a percent of students will average an 8—for example [8/8/8, 7/8/8, 8/7/8, or 8,8,7].

Update as of October 2017. The University of California system has published the 25th–75th percentile ranges for enrolled students. It has chosen to work with total scores. The highest ranges—including those at UCLA and Berkeley—are 17–20. Those scores are inline with our estimates above.

How will colleges use the domain scores?

Colleges have been given no guidance by College Board on how to use essay scores for admission. Will they sum the scores? Will they average them? Will they value certain areas over others? Chances are that if you are worrying too much about those questions, then you are likely losing sight of the bigger picture. We know of no cases where admission committees will make formulaic use of essay scores. The scores are a very small, very error-prone part of a student’s testing portfolio.

How low is too low?

Are 3s and 4s, then, low enough that an otherwise high-scoring student should retest? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. In general, it is a mistake to retest solely to improve an essay score unless a student is confident that the SAT Total Score can be maintained or improved. A student with a 1340 PSAT and 1280 SAT may feel that it is worthwhile to bring up low essay scores because she has previously shown that she can do better on the Evidence-based Reading and Writing and Math, as well. A student with a 1400 PSAT and 1540 SAT should think long and hard before committing to a retest. Admission results from the class of 2017 may give us some added insight into the use of SAT Essay scores.

Will colleges continue to require the SAT Essay?

For the class of 2017, Compass has prepared a list of the SAT Essay and ACT Writing policies for 360 of the top colleges . Several of the largest and most prestigious public university systems—California, Michigan, and Texas, for example, still require the essay, and a number of highly competitive private colleges do the same—for example, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford.

The number of excellent colleges not requiring the SAT Essay, though, is long and getting longer. Compass expects even more colleges to drop the essay requirement for the classes of 2018 and 2019. Policies are typically finalized in late spring or during the summer.

Should I skip the essay entirely?

A common question regarding SAT scores is whether the whole mess can be avoided by skipping the essay. After all, if only about 10% of colleges are requiring the section, is it really that important? Despite serious misgivings about the test and the ways scores are interpreted, Compass still recommends that most students take the essay unless they are certain that they will not be applying to any of the colleges requiring or recommending it. Nationally, about 70% of students choose to take the essay on at least one SAT administration. When looking at higher scoring segments, that quickly rises to 85–90%. Almost all Compass students take the SAT Essay at least once to insure that they do not miss out on educational opportunities.

Should I prepare for the SAT Essay?

Most Compass students decide to do some preparation for the essay, because taking any part of a test “cold” can be an unpleasant experience, and students want to avoid feeling like a retake is necessary. In addition to practicing exercises and tests, most students can perform well enough on the SAT Essay after 1–2 hours of tutoring. Students taking a Compass practice SAT will also receive a scored essay. Students interested in essay writing tips for the SAT can refer to Compass blog posts on the difference between the ACT and SAT tasks  and the use of first person on the essays .

Will I be able to see my essay?

Yes. ACT makes it difficult to obtain a copy of your Writing essay, but College Board includes it as part of your online report.

Will colleges have access to my essay? Even if they don’t require it?

Yes, colleges are provided with student essays. We know of very few circumstances where SAT Essay reading is regularly conducted. Colleges that do not require the SAT Essay fall into the “consider” and “do not consider” camps. Schools do not always list this policy on their website or in their application materials, so it is hard to have a comprehensive list. We recommend contacting colleges for more information. In general, the essay will have little to no impact at colleges that do not require or recommend it.

Is the SAT Essay a reason to take the ACT instead?

Almost all colleges that require the SAT Essay require Writing for ACT-takers. The essays are very different on the two tests, but neither can be said to be universally “easier” or “harder.” Compass recommends that the primary sections of the tests determine your planning. Compass’ content experts have also written a piece on how to attack the ACT essay .

Key links in this post:

ACT and SAT essay requirements ACT Writing scores explained Comparing ACT and SAT essay tasks The use of first person in ACT and SAT essays Understanding the “audience and purpose” of the ACT essay Compass proctored practice testing for the ACT, SAT, and Subject Tests

About Art Sawyer

Art graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where he was the top-ranked liberal arts student in his class. Art pioneered the one-on-one approach to test prep in California in 1989 and co-founded Compass Education Group in 2004 in order to bring the best ideas and tutors into students' homes and computers. Although he has attained perfect scores on all flavors of the SAT and ACT, he is routinely beaten in backgammon.

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Hi! I’m a high school junior who took the October and November SATs. I got a 1500 on October and then retook it to get a 1590 in November. I’m very happy with my score, but my essays are troubling me. I got a 6-4-6 in October and thought I would improve in November, but I got a 6-3-6. I really cannot improve my actual SAT score, but I don’t understand the essay. I’ve always been a good writer and have consistently been praised for it in English class and outside of class. Is this essay score indicative of my writing skill? And will this essay hurt my chances at Ivy League and other top tier schools? None of the schools I plan on applying to require it, but, since I have to submit it, will it hurt my chances? Thank you so much.

Maya, The essay is becoming increasingly irrelevant. Honestly, a 6-4-6 is a fine score and will not hurt your chances for admission. It’s something of an odd writing task, so I wouldn’t worry that it doesn’t match your writing skills elsewhere.

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The CollegeVine Guide to SAT Scores: All Your Questions Answered

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If you’re like many high school students, the hardest part of the SAT isn’t the hours of prep work that you put into it. Yes, that’s definitely hard, but at least you have some control over it. There’s some reassurance in being able to direct your time towards productive and, hopefully, satisfying results. What’s harder for many students like you is the time between your test and your score release. There’s nothing you can do to speed the process, so waiting patiently (or impatiently) is your only option.

If you’re awaiting SAT scores, or perhaps you’ve just received them, you might be wondering how your test is scored, what the scores mean, or even what to do if you believe your SAT score is incorrect. Read on for CollegeVine’s answers to all your SAT score questions.

How is the SAT scored?

Most of your SAT answers were multiple-choice bubbles that you meticulously filled in with a #2 pencil. Even the grid-in math questions involved those tiny little bubbles. So it’s probably no surprise that those bubbles play an integral part in scoring your exam. With millions of students taking SAT or PSAT-related exams each year, the ability to score each exam quickly and efficiently is beyond important. After all, imagine how long the wait would be if each test had to be scored by hand.

What is a raw score?

Multiple-choice and grid-in answers are scored by a computer that scans your answer sheet. This computer produces your raw score, which, simply speaking, is the number of questions answered correctly. Beginning in spring 2016, there is no penalty on the SAT for incorrect or unanswered questions, so your raw score simply accounts for the number of questions that you answered correctly.

A separate raw score is produced for the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section and for the Math section. Each of these scores is then converted to a scaled score of 200 to 800. This conversion accounts for slight differences in difficulty among different versions of the test, so your resulting score is consistent across test forms.

How is the SAT essay scored?

If you took the optional essay section of the SAT, you will remember that this portion of the test was the one that did not involve those little bubbled-in answers. Instead, you produced a written product, which obviously must be scored quite differently from a computer-scanned answer sheet.

Each essay written for the SAT is scored by two separate and independent readers. The readers evaluate essays on three dimensions. These dimensions include reading, analysis, and writing.

For the reading dimension, scorers assess your understanding of the passage, including central ideas and important details. For the analysis dimension, scorers evaluate your understanding of how the author builds an argument and how you support and develop your ideas with evidence from the text. Finally, for the writing dimension, essay readers score your ability to craft a focused, organized, and precise essay with appropriate style and tone.

Each essay reader will award between one and four points for each dimension. These scores are then added together to create a score ranging from two to eight for each dimension. If the scores awarded for any dimension differ by more than one point, a scoring director will score the essay. This automatic validation helps to ensure the universal accuracy of the essay scoring process. For more information about the SAT Essay scoring process, including a rubric of scoring guidelines for each dimension, review the College Board’s SAT Essay Scoring .

When will I receive my SAT score?

The release date for SAT scores varies depending on when you took the test. Tests administered in the fall are usually scored and released in about three to four weeks. Tests administered in the spring tend to take a little longer, probably due to the large volume of students taking them. These are scored and released in about five to six weeks. For an exact calendar of score release dates organized by test date, check out the College Board’s table of When to Expect Scores .

How will I receive my SAT score?

Sat scores online.

The easiest way to receive your SAT score is through the College Board website. If you registered for the test online, you have already created an online College Board account. Log in to your account on the score release day to view your results.

SAT Scores By Paper Score Report

If you do not have an online College Board account, or you registered through the mail and did not include your College Board account on your registration, you will receive a copy of your scores in the mail. This will be mailed around the same day that scores are released online.

SAT Scores By Phone

You may also receive your SAT scores by telephone beginning on the date of the score release, but there is a fee attached to this service and you will need to provide a credit card number when you call. To receive scores by phone use the following phone numbers:

Domestic: 866-756-7346

International: 212-713-7789

TTY: 888-857-2477 (U.S.), 609-882-4118 (international)

What do my SAT scores mean?

When you receive your scores, you’re probably expecting a number between 400 and 1600. You will get this, and a whole lot more, on your official SAT score report. So what do all these different numbers mean?

SAT Total Scores

This is the number you’re probably most familiar with when it comes to SAT scores. It is a single number between 400 and 1600 and represents your total score. This total score is calculated by adding your score from the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section (200-800) with your total score from the Math section (200-800). You will also receive a percentile accompanying your total score. This number shows you how your score compares to the scores received by other students taking the SAT.

SAT Section Scores

These are the individual section scores between 200 and 800 for the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and the Math section. The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section score is a combination of the Reading Test score and the Writing and Language Test score. The Math section score is a combination of the Math Test – Calculator score and the Math Test – No Calculator score.

SAT Essay Scores

The SAT Essay scores will include three scored dimensions. The dimensions scored are Reading, Analysis, and Writing. Each dimension is scored on a scale from two to eight points. The score report will show the prompt you responded to, your essay itself, and a link to the Essay Scoring Guide .

Other Score Components

Although the total scores, section scores, and essay scores are the most important numbers on your score report, they are not the only numbers.

You will also receive test scores ranging from 10-40 for the content in each of the tests: Reading, Writing and Language, and Math.

You will see cross-test scores ranging from 10-40 as well. These scores show your performance across the three tests in the domains of Analysis in History/Social Studies and Analysis in Science.

Finally, you’ll see subscores ranging from 1-15, which reflect your performance in the following skill areas:

• Command of Evidence
• Words in Context
• Expression of Ideas
• Standard English Conventions
• Heart of Algebra
• Problem Solving and Data Analysis
• Passport to Advanced Math

Although these scores aren’t necessarily important to colleges or universities, they can be used as feedback to guide your studying for any future SAT exams you might choose to take.

Discover how your SAT score affects your chances

As part of our free guidance platform, our Admissions Assessment tells you what schools you need to improve your SAT score for and by how much. Sign up to get started today.

Is my SAT score good enough for schools?

There is no standard SAT score required for college admissions. The exact range of SAT scores admitted to each college varies widely depending on how competitive the school’s admissions are and the various other factors considered on every application, such as grades and extracurricular activities. To get an idea of the SAT scores expected at the college or university of your choice, look them up online. A simple online search query with the college name and the term “average SAT score” should yield the results for which you’re looking.

Although there is no minimum SAT score required for general college admissions, the College Board does set benchmarks that assess your college readiness. These benchmarks are designed to:

• Identify students who are on track for success in college and career readiness.
• Identify students who may need extra support while there is still time for improvement.
• Find students who may be ready for more challenging course work.

The benchmarks are not intended to assign academic tracks, discourage students from pursuing college, or keep students from participating in challenging courses. Instead, these benchmarks are designed by the College Board to predict a 75% likelihood of achieving at least a C in a set of first-semester college courses.

The benchmarks are set separately for each section. The current Evidence-Based Reading and Writing benchmark score is 480. The current Math benchmark score is 530. Your score report will include your performance compared to the benchmark scores. This comparison is categorized by color with the following designations:

• Green: Your section score meets or exceeds the benchmark.
• Yellow: Your section score is within one year’s academic growth of the benchmark.
• Red: Your section score is below the benchmark by more than one year’s academic growth.

How do I send my SAT scores to schools?

Sending sat scores before test day.

Every time you register for the SAT, you can order four free score reports to colleges and scholarship programs at no cost to you. This is a good choice because it’s the only free option available, and many colleges will view your early submission as a demonstration of your interest.

Although some students might hesitate to send scores before you know them, if this is likely the last time that you’re taking the test or your test date falls close to the application deadline, you should definitely consider taking advantage of the free score reports. For more information about sending test scores before you’ve received them, read CollegeVine’s Should I Send My Test Scores To Colleges Before I Know Them?

Sending SAT Scores After Test Day

There are two scenarios for sending scores after test day. If you leave the test on cloud nine and you are certain that you aced it, you can still take advantage of the four free score reports up to nine days after the test. Simply log in to your College Board account online and send your scores.

If you wait longer, or would rather postpone sending any scores until you’ve seen them yourself, you’ll still be able to send scores easily through your online College Board account, but you’ll have to pay to do so. These score reports are $12 each ( fee waivers are available if needed). A rush report is an additional $31.

What should I do if I think my SAT was scored incorrectly?

There are a couple levels of review available if you think your SAT was scored incorrectly.

Student Answer Service (SAS)

First, if you just have an inkling that something is off but aren’t totally sure, you can request a Student Answer Verification. This service includes an overview of the difficulty of each question answered correctly, incorrectly, or omitted and of the type of test questions.

Essentially, the Student Answer Service is a more specific overview of your performance for you to look over. It is not reviewed by anyone else, but is provided for your own personal use to better understand what went wrong (or right!). If your SAS report reveals that you got every difficult question wrong, it’s likely that your exam was graded correctly, and you may not have realized how hard those questions actually were at the time of the exam.

This answer verification service is not designed to be used as a test prep or practice tool. You may request this service when you register for the test or up to five months after your test date. The fee for this service is $13.50. See the SAT Answer Verification Services Order Form for 2016-17 for more information.

Question and Answer Service (QAS)

You may also choose to receive a Question and Answer Verification Service on select exam administrations. This service is available for all May administrations of the test, and for other select administrations within Canada and the U.S. For a calendar of availability for this service, see the SAT Answer Verification Services Order Form for 2016-17 .

The Question and Answer Service includes a booklet copy of the test you took with a table of correct answers and scoring information. You will also receive a report that lists the type and level of difficulty of each question, along with what your answer was, and whether it was correct, incorrect, or omitted. Again, this service does not include a review by anyone else, but is provided for your own personal use to better understand where you failed to gain points. This service costs $18.00.

Score Verification

If you still don’t think your test was scored correctly, you may request a score verification. This is a good idea if your score is very different from what you expected and you believe you may have made an obvious mistake in marking your answers, or if your essay appears blank or completely illegible when you view it in your online score report. In this case, you may have written your essay in ink (which does not scan properly), and it would not have been assessed appropriately.

You may request a multiple-choice hand score verification and/or an essay score verification. Each service costs $55 (or $27.50 for fee-waiver users). Your score verification fee will be refunded if your score changes because of an irregularity in the College Board’s scanning and/or scoring processes. If your score does not change, if it changes due to an obvious error you made in marking your answer sheet, or if you wrote your essay in pen, or otherwise failed to follow directions for marking your answers and completing test information, your fee will not be refunded.

Keep in mind when requesting score verification that your new score will be final, regardless of whether it is higher or lower than your original score. Also, you should know that the verification of essay scores does not include rereading the essay or an appeal of the essay score. It simply reviews the essay visually to ensure that it was legible to the original readers who scored it.

For more about score verification services, check out the College Board’s Important Information for Using the SAT® Score Verification Service .

To learn more about the SAT, check out these CollegeVine posts:

• ACT vs SAT/SAT Subject Tests
• Are PSAT Scores Related to SAT Scores?
• What Should I Bring to My SAT?
• A Guide to the New SAT

Want to know how your SAT score impacts your chances of acceptance to your dream schools? Our free Chancing Engine will not only help you predict your odds, but also let you know how you stack up against other applicants, and which aspects of your profile to improve. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to gain access to our Chancing Engine and get a jumpstart on your college strategy!

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Introduction:

The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. With millions of students participating in this exam each year, it’s essential to understand your SAT scores. This article will guide you through 13 steps to read and interpret your SAT results.

1.Obtain your SAT score report:

After taking the SAT, sign in to your College Board account to access your score report online. You can also request a paper copy.

2.Understand the three sections:

SAT has three sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), Math, and Essay (optional). Each section has subcategories that measure specific skills.

3.Check your total score:

Your total SAT score ranges from 400-1600, combining EBRW and Math scores which individually range from 200-800.

4.Review your section scores:

Look at both your EBRW and Math section scores to see how well you performed in each area. You can use these scores to identify strengths and weaknesses.

5.Evaluate your percentile ranking:

The percentile rank (1-99) indicates the percentage of students you scored higher or equal to nationally. For example, if you scored in the 75th percentile, you performed better than 75% of test-takers.

6.Analyze your subscores:

Each section has subscores (1-15) that provide insight into specific skill areas like problem-solving or analytical writing. Use these figures as guidance for areas of improvement.

7.Assess cross-test scores:

Cross-test scores (10-40) assess how well you’ve applied knowledge and skills across multiple sections of the test.

8.Compare benchmark indicators:

Benchmark indicators suggest whether you are on track for college readiness in different subjects, comparing your performance with the College Board’s established benchmarks for success.

9.Review the optional Essay score:

If you took the Essay portion, you will receive a score ranging from 2-8 on three dimensions: Reading, Analysis, and Writing. The sum is your overall Essay score.

10.Investigate score details:

For a more in-depth understanding, review the detailed feedback provided about your performance in various question types and difficulties.

11.Compare your scores to college requirements:

Research target colleges’ average SAT scores to understand how you’re positioned for admission.

12.Consider retaking the SAT:

If unsatisfied with your results, think about retaking the exam after focusing on areas needing improvement.

13.Celebrate your achievement:

Regardless of your final SAT score, acknowledge the hard work you’ve put in and use this experience to learn and grow.

Conclusion:

Understanding your SAT scores takes some effort but can provide valuable insights into your academic strengths and weaknesses. By learning how to read your SAT results, you can better prepare for college applications and make informed decisions about which schools suit you best.

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Sat essay view for colleges and other institutions help, how do i access students' essays, how do i log in, how do i sign out, what is my user id and/or password, what if i forgot my user id and/or password, whose contact information from my institution should i provide, how can i update my institution's contact information, can i be notified by email when students' essays can be viewed, where do i find a student's essay locator id, how do i look up another student's essay, how do i view the essay score along with the essay, how are essays scored, how do students provide my institution access to their essays, can my institution receive students' essays in batches, how do i sign up to receive batch essay files, will i be alerted when new batch essay files are available, in what format are the batch files, how do i access batch delivery files, is there any kind of index with batch files, what is contained in the error log.

Images of student essays will be available from the College Board to supplement a student's score report. An individual essay locator ID will appear on each student's score report. Admissions staff can use the essay locator ID to view and/or print an applicant's essay image. Colleges will have access to images of essays from every regular administration taken by the student.

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All institutions were sent a user ID and password in April 2005. Enter your user ID and password when prompted to gain access to the website. If you forgot your user ID and/or password, please contact Code Control at 609 771-7091 .

To end your session, click on "Log Out." This link appears in the top right corner of the screen under the name of your institution.

A mailing containing a user ID and password, along with detailed instructions, was sent to colleges in April 2005. A user ID and password will allow access to the individual student essays.

If you forgot your user ID and/or password, please contact Code Control at 609 771-7091.

The contact name and email address you provide will be used for essay inquiries and essay lookup communications only. You should enter the information of a person who will be responsible for communications about receiving essays, including information about passwords.

If you wish to update your institution's contact information, please contact Code Control at 609 771-7091.

When you sign in for the first time, you will be prompted to enter contact information including an email address. You will also be able to choose to have notification emailed when a student's essay is available for viewing. Email notifications will be sent weekly, and you may also receive daily emails with rush score delivery. You may already receive email notification with Internet Score Delivery, but these notification emails are separate.

The essay locator ID can be found on the top right corner of a paper score report, or in position 500-509 in an electronic data layout.

If you are already viewing a student's essay, you can go to another student's essay by entering the essay locator ID for that student in the Essay Locator ID box, which can be found on the right side of the screen on the Essay Viewer page.

You can choose to view or hide the essay score when you view a student's essay. Select either the "Show Scores" button, which will show the score, or the "Hide Scores" button, which will hide the score, on the Essay Viewer page.

Each essay is scored independently by two qualified readers, on a scale of 1 to 6 by each reader, with the combined score for both readers ranging from 2 to 12. (Essays not written on the essay assignment will receive a score of zero.) If the two readers' scores differ by more than one point, a third reader scores the essay. View the SAT Essay Scoring Guide .

When a student sends your institution an official score report, they also provide you with permission to view a copy of their essay. Just as all previous SAT scores are reported when students send you their scores, all previously written essays are also reported. Please encourage all students to send official score reports to your institution or you will not have online access to their essay .

Colleges can choose to receive batches of essays in addition to the individual lookup option. Batch essay files from the March, May, and June administrations were made available for batch download in August 2005. Batch essays are available on the Web after each SAT administration on an ongoing basis.

Institutions can sign up to receive batch delivery of essays with the annual score report options mailing that is sent to institutions in June. Institutions can also sign up for batch delivery of essays by calling Code Control at 609 771-7091.

Yes. When you sign up to receive batch essays, you are required to provide an email address. You will receive an email when a batch of essays is available for download.

Batch files are in PDF format. When you sign up to receive batch files, you can also choose to receive large or small batch essay files. Each small file contains up to 100 essays, and each large file contains up to 500 essays.

You access batch essay files in much the same way you access individual essays. After you log in, click the link to the batch essay files. On screen, you will see a list of your batches by test administration or by the week in which they were sent. Each contains the batch essay files from that SAT administration or from that week. You will receive an email when a batch of essays is available for download.

Yes. Along with your batch(es) of essays, a complete index file is included that can be used to determine which students' essays can be found in each PDF file. In addition, each PDF file comes with its own index.

The error log contains all the essay locator ids in which the essay image could not be provided by the College Board.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, important: read this before you send sat scores to colleges.

SAT Logistics , SAT General Info

No matter how stellar your transcript, no matter how mastered your extracurricular activities, no matter how lyrical your essay—no application is complete without your SAT scores.

So how do you make sure your SAT scores are sent properly, at the right time, and with only the scores you are most proud of? Read on for our best advice on the decisions you'll be faced with and what to do in case something goes wrong.

In this article, I'll go over the process of sending SAT scores, when to send SAT scores (and when not to!), and what to do if your scores go missing. I'll also explain the pros and cons of every option and give you my suggestion anytime there are multiple possible ways to proceed.

How to Send Your SAT Scores: 2 Methods

You can send your SAT scores either when you take the test or anytime after you get your scores. We'll look at the two methods in more detail below.

Method 1: Use Your Four Free Score Reports

When you register for the SAT and for nine days after you take the test, you can send four free score reports to colleges and scholarship programs. However, note that you'd be doing this without first seeing your scores.

Here's our advice on whether you should send these free four SAT score reports :

• Pros: These four score reports are free. A dollar saved is a dollar earned!
• Cons: You won't know your scores before they get sent out. This means you won't be able to use SAT Score Choice  to pick which scores colleges see and which they don't see (more about Score Choice in the next part of this article). Essentially, your scores will be sent out even if they aren't as strong as you'd like them to be.

Recommendation: Save some money and time—use your four free score reports to send scores to colleges that want to see all your SAT scores .

Note: More and more schools are allowing students to self-report their SAT/ACT scores and only require official score reports if students are accepted. If you're only applying to schools that fall into that category and wait until your acceptances to send an official score report, you'll have to default to method 2, which we'll be covering next.

Method 2: Order Additional Score Reports

You can also order SAT score reports through your College Board account any time after you get your scores. In your account, you can see all of your SAT test dates and scores and choose which ones to send out.

Here's our advice about whether you should send your SAT scores after you see them:

• Pros: You can see all your scores first, so you can select only your best scores to be sent out (again, I'll address SAT Score Choice in more detail below).
• Cons: Your first four score reports are sent out free to the colleges of your choice. After that, it costs $14  to send a score report to a college , and each report can include a number of test scores on it. In other words, if you want to send three SAT scores to the University of Vermont and two to the University of Hawaii, you'd pay $28. ( Students eligible for a fee waiver have unlimited free score reports .) Note that rush reports cost more: $31 .

Here are our recommendations for when to order additional SAT score reports:

• Send scores with your best section results to colleges that superscore the SAT . These schools make a new composite score using your best Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) scores from any SATs you took.
• Send your single highest score to colleges that neither superscore nor require all your scores, to SAT scholarship programs , and to the NCAA if you plan to play college sports .

Can You Send Old SAT Scores?

If you've graduated high school more than a year ago and haven't taken the SAT since then, or if you want to send scores from an SAT you took more than five years ago, you must request them from the archives . Each report costs $31 , and each rush report costs an additional $31.

You can order old SAT scores in one of two ways (note that you cannot order them online through your College Board account):

• SAT Program
• PO Box 025505
• Miami, FL 33102
• Call the College Board at (866) 756-7346. Be aware that there is an additional $15 fee for ordering scores over the phone.

Pro Tip: You might run across Q&A websites that tell you to simply mail or fax a copy of your printed SAT score report to colleges as a way of sending scores for free. Don't listen to these! Most colleges only look at official score reports sent directly by the College Board. You can't simply send schools a copy of your report, even if your deadline is approaching.

Can You Choose Which SAT Scores to Send?

You can now decide whether you want the College Board to send all your SAT scores to colleges or whether you want to use a program called Score Choice.

SAT Score Choice lets you pick which scores you send to schools. You can select individual test dates, but not test sections. In other words, you pick the date of the SAT you want to send, and the College Board will send out scores from that test and that test only.

Say you took the SAT three times, and the second time you were nursing a fever and just generally having a bad day. Score Choice lets you send only the first and third test scores to colleges—so you can go ahead and consign that second one to the dustbin of history.

Here are the pros and cons of the SAT Score Choice policy:

• Score Choice is awesome for colleges that don't require all of your SAT scores.
• It's also perfect for colleges that superscore —you can send them the test dates that have your highest section scores.
• Finally, it's the best way to send your best single SAT score to scholarship programs and the NCAA.
• You have to read your target colleges' score submission policies very carefully. Failing to send all your scores to colleges that require all of them could land your application in hot water. To make keeping track of different policies easier, check out College Board's BigFuture site , which lists the SAT score policies for hundreds of US schools.

When Should You Send Your SAT Scores?

Now, let's discuss the best timing for sending SAT scores to colleges. In this section, we'll touch on how early to send your scores, when to expect scores to reach your colleges, whether to consider rush ordering your score reports, and finally what to do if you miss a deadline.

Should You Send Your SAT Scores Early?

The College Board claims that sending scores early shows colleges that you're a very interested applicant. If you first take the SAT your junior year, then, should you go ahead and send that score to colleges you're particularly interested in?

It's true that some colleges do sometimes ask to see proof that an applicant sincerely wants to go to their school; this is called demonstrated interest. But this is something that usually comes into play after you've turned in your full application, usually as a way to move someone up on a waitlist.

Typically, sending SAT scores early does not give you an edge. Similarly, it doesn't count as demonstrated interest. This is because if you send SAT scores to a college but haven't applied there yet, the admission staff will simply save them under your name in a general file until your application shows up.

And it's not only that. If you send your scores early and are planning to retake the SAT , you won't get the full benefit of Score Choice since you won't be able to compare your early score with ones from later tests you take.

When Should SAT Scores Get to the Admissions Office?

It will be no surprise to hear that official SAT score reports should get to your schools by their respective application deadline. In order to figure out what this means in terms of when to send your scores, let's go through the timing of everything that happens after you take the test.

Step 1: The College Board Scores Your SAT

• Scoring usually takes two weeks but can take more than five weeks for the June test date.

Step 2: Score Reports Are Posted Online and Processed for Sending

• You can access your SAT score report through your College Board account .
• If you registered for the four free score reports, these will be sent out to colleges about one to two weeks after your scores appear online.
• As soon as scores are online, you can order additional score reports from the College Board website.

Step 3: Colleges Receive Your SAT Scores

• Most colleges receive test scores electronically through software that files your score with the rest of your application materials. Colleges themselves select how often to download new SAT score reports; this is usually somewhere between once per day and once per week (for example, UVA gets SAT scores daily).
• Remember that there will be a lag between when a college gets your scores and when it adds them to your application file.

In most circumstances, the math for ordering SAT score reports goes like this:

less than 1 week for ordering scores + 1 week for colleges to get and file scores = order scores at least 2 weeks before the application deadline

I always hedge my bets, so I'd advise ordering test reports at least three weeks early for safety or, even better, as soon as you're done testing and know which schools you're applying to.

Your last possible test date math looks like this:

3 weeks for scoring + 3 weeks for ordering tests = take your last test no later than 6 weeks before the application deadline

Should You Rush Your SAT Score Report Order?

If you are worried about beating deadlines, you can pay extra for the College Board's rush service . Here are the pros and cons of doing so:

• Instead of taking "a few days" to send your scores, the College Board guarantees SAT scores will be sent out within one to four business days.
• This service does not speed up how long it takes the College Board to score your test.
• It also does not speed up how long it takes for colleges to receive your scores. Remember, schools choose the timing themselves, with some getting score reports only weekly. In other words, while your scores are sent sooner, they aren't necessarily going to be seen by schools sooner.
• Colleges that receive score reports electronically might not view priority reports at all.
• The service costs $31 (but you can rush reports to many schools at once).

Recommendation: If your deadline is fast approaching, it might make sense to pay extra to buy yourself a little more time. Just keep in mind that colleges might not see your scores any faster if their delivery preferences aren't set up for priority reports.

What If You Miss the Application Deadline?

What happens to applications when SAT scores arrive late varies depending on each college's policy.

Some schools have a hard and fast rule: late application materials disqualify that applicant. For example, the University of Texas's policy even overrides the guaranteed admission the school offers to any in-state students in the top 10% of their class.

In short, late test scores are a big gamble —you're essentially betting that your application won't be considered until further into the process and that therefore your SAT scores still have a chance to get there without issue.

For example, here's what Stanford University's admissions site warns in regard to test scores:

"We cannot delay the review of an application in anticipation of scores that will arrive after the deadline nor can we guarantee that late [SAT] scores will be reviewed."

Meanwhile, UVA points out the following if your SAT scores are late:

"There is a chance that we will have already started the [sic] review your file before those scores arrive. You should still send those scores. ... There's a chance that the scores will be seen at some point in the process."

Finally, some schools judge applications on a case-by-case basis. This means that an otherwise excellent application might be put aside until SAT scores arrive, while an application that is clearly not a good fit for the school will be rejected even before scores are received.

How Can I Ensure That My SAT Scores Don't Get Lost?

A college is guaranteed to receive your SAT scores either when you select it during SAT registration or when you select it on the College Board website while ordering additional score reports.

Some university systems, such as the University of California system, which has many campuses under one umbrella, share scores among campuses. In other words, if you send your SAT scores to one UC campus, your scores will be distributed to all UC campuses.

The most likely reason your target college can't find your SAT score report is that you picked the wrong school's name on the form. If you registered for the four free reports, check your own score report to confirm that the colleges you put in are correct. If you ordered reports through the College Board website, log in to your account to double-check the colleges you selected.

A good rule of thumb is to wait three weeks after you send your SAT scores to check whether they've been received. Usually, this info is available on the college's application site, but in some cases colleges will contact you to let you know which application materials aren't in your file yet.

If you get a notice from the college that your scores are missing, don't panic: often, it can take up to a few weeks for received application materials to be logged. Chances are, the school has indeed received your scores but simply hasn't filed them yet. Feel free to call the admissions office and calmly and respectfully ask them to check whether your SAT scores have arrived or not.

If your SAT scores don't turn up—either because they got lost in the mail, were somehow electronically derailed, or were simply misfiled— you can always resend your scores by ordering new ones through the College Board website.

What's Next?

Unsure how to study for your next crack at the SAT? Check out our expert advice and SAT study plan suggestions for taking the test your sophomore and junior year as well as the summer before senior year .

Ready to try for a full SAT score? Learn what it takes to get to a 1600 from a perfect SAT scorer.

Want to start working on the rest of your college application? Try out our tips on how to craft a versatile one that'll work for many different colleges.

Ready to go beyond just reading about the SAT? Then you'll love the free five-day trial for our SAT Complete Prep program . Designed and written by PrepScholar SAT experts , our SAT program customizes to your skill level in over 40 subskills so that you can focus your studying on what will get you the biggest score gains.

Click on the button below to try it out!

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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When are the application deadlines for college.

Senior Associate, JPMorgan Chase

Many prospective college students prepare for months to ensure their college applications are filled out just right. From preparing essays , getting test scores, and asking for letters of recommendation, it can take a lot of energy to make sure you have all the required information to complete a college application.

But when are college applications due? Keep reading as we break down the ins and outs of college application deadlines, along with questions you may have about these deadlines.

When are college applications due for “early decision”?

Most colleges have early decision and early action deadlines that predominantly fall on November 1 for the next academic year. For example, if you’re applying early decision or early action to be in the incoming freshmen class of 2025, the application deadline will likely be on November 1, 2024.

If you apply early decision, and get accepted by a school, you must attend. For early action, you’ll likely receive an admission decision by February of the following year, but you can take a couple of months to decide if you want to attend or not – your decision isn’t binding.

Even though November 1 is often the norm for colleges who offer early decision and early action application options, this deadline can vary by school, so make sure to check the deadlines for each school you’re interested in and make a note of them.

When are college applications due for “regular decision”?

According to College Board, a national nonprofit that helps students with college admissions, you’ll likely see deadlines for regular decision applications between the months of January and February. Many schools have a deadline of January 1, if it’s helpful to keep a general deadline in the back of your mind. So, for instance, the regular decision deadline to apply to college for the fall of 2025, would be January 1, 2025.

Just like with early decision and early action, this’ll vary by school, so make sure to check the exact deadline for each school you’re interested in applying to.

When are college applications due for transfer students?

If you’re considering transferring schools in the next academic year, you’ll want to keep an eye out for transfer specific deadlines. Some schools have the same application deadlines whether you’re applying to transfer or are applying as a first-year student, while others have different deadlines for transfer students. Because of that, you’ll want to check the deadline for each school you’re interested in applying to as a transfer student.

Many colleges and universities have a transfer application deadline of March 1 for the next academic year.

Common FAQs about college application deadlines

When’s the common app due.

Students utilize the Common App to apply to different schools. This standardized admission application is supported by over 1,000 U.S. colleges and universities and allows you to share your personal information, essays, activities, grades and more in one platform to the schools of your choice.

While the app’s purpose is to simplify the college application process, the deadline to submit the Common App to the schools you want to apply to is based on the individual schools’ deadlines. The Common App opens to students on August 1 for the next academic year.

Can you send college applications after the deadline?

Whether or not you can submit college applications after the deadline will depend on the school. Some will accept late college applications in rare circumstances such as a family emergency, medical illness, or natural disaster. You'll want to contact the school’s admissions office as soon as possible to find out if you can submit a late college application.

Can you send college applications before receiving teacher recommendations?

If you’re applying to colleges through the Common App, you can send your application to schools before submitting letters of recommendation. If a school doesn’t use the Common App, or you’re applying to a school via its individual application regardless, you’ll want to ask the school’s admissions office if this is permissible.

Can you send college applications before receiving SAT or ACT scores?

Whether or not you can send college applications in before supplying ACT or SAT scores with an application will depend on the school. Most colleges do allow students to send updated SAT or ACT scores after you’ve submitted your application, though.

It’s also important to note that some schools don’t ask for or make it optional for students to supply standardized test scores like SAT or ACT scores with their applications.

Final thoughts

You may feel nervous when it comes to preparing your college applications , but staying on top of deadlines is one way you can feel more at ease. Because many schools have different deadlines, you may consider jotting the deadlines down for the schools you’re considering applying to months in advance, so you’ll be ready when the deadlines arrive.

More From Forbes

4 college admissions trends shaping top schools’ decisions in 2024.

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Locust Walk with students in fall, University of Pennsylvania, University City area, Philadelphia, ... [+] PA, USA

Ivy Day 2024, the day when top schools' admissions decisions are released, is a pivotal moment to explore the evolving landscape of college admissions and anticipate future directions. This year’s transformations are reshaping college application strategies in profound ways. Let's dive into the latest developments.

Return To Standardized Testing

The return to SAT and ACT requirements by institutions such as Dartmouth, Brown and MIT is a sign that many highly selective institutions may go back to requiring standardized tests. In a slight modification to the testing requirement, Yale’s test-flexible policy allows students to submit Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate scores in lieu of the standard SAT or ACT. This shift may be in response to a decline in college readiness benchmarks ; for instance, ACT exam scores are at their lowest in 30 years, even as GPAs in core subjects rise. This gap highlights a discrepancy between students' perceived readiness and their actual preparedness.

Although I foresee more colleges reinstating standardized testing requirements, I also expect the continuation of test-optional and test-blind policies. These policies serve not only to broaden application pools from underrepresented and disadvantaged groups but also as a strategy for financially challenged institutions to attract more applicants.

In other testing news, the College Board launched the first digital SAT earlier this month , introducing a significant shift from its traditional format. This new version is adaptive and adjusts the difficulty level of questions based on the student's responses, a departure from the fixed difficulty level of previous exams. Notably, students report that the math section was more challenging than anticipated, diverging from their experiences with practice exams. Unlike the SAT, which has transitioned to a fully digital format, the ACT continues to offer both digital and traditional paper-and-pencil options.

It's advisable for students to undertake diagnostic practice exams for both the SAT and ACT to ascertain which exam aligns better with their abilities. Should the practice scores be comparable, I recommend leaning toward the ACT. This preference stems from its stability in format over the years and the choice it offers between digital and paper-based exams.

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Given the evolving landscape of testing policies, including recent SAT modifications, students should embrace a two-pronged approach: rigorously prepare for standardized tests while remaining flexible to the possibility of not submitting scores where test-optional policies prevail.

Rethink The Importance Of The College Essay

Duke University has made significant changes to its admissions process by no longer assigning numerical ratings to applicants' standardized test scores and essays . This adjustment took effect in the current application cycle. Previously, Duke assigned values from one to five for essays and test scores, contributing to a holistic score on a 30-point scale. Now, the point system is applied only to curriculum strength, academics, recommendations, and extracurricular activities.

The move to eliminate numerical scores for essays arises from concerns about the rise in AI-generated submissions and the possibility of essays being ghostwritten. Christoph Guttentag, the dean of undergraduate admissions, noted that although essays play a pivotal role in comprehending an applicant's profile, their reliability as indicators of a student’s actual writing skills has diminished.

This adjustment is not a response to the Supreme Court's ruling against considering race in admissions decisions. Nonetheless, essays have frequently been a focal point in discussions about fostering diversity through admissions. It is expected that other institutions may similarly de-emphasize essays, thereby elevating the significance of academic transcripts, the depth of extracurricular activities, and the relevance and demand for the selected major .

Apply Early

The number of early applications (a combination of early decision and early action) has jumped by 1 million, a 60% increase, over the last five years according to Common Application data in a New York Magazine report . In contrast, applications filed during the regular decision period increased by 26% over the same timeframe. This suggests a growing trend among high school seniors to leverage early application options as part of their strategy for college admissions, reflecting the competitive nature of securing admission to top institutions.

Navigate The FAFSA Challenges

The recent overhaul of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid has led to significant delays, affecting students who rely on financial aid to make college decisions. This FAFSA situation has left many students in limbo, uncertain about their financial aid packages and, consequently, their college choices. Some colleges and universities are extending decision deadlines to accommodate the delays, but the fear remains that this could deter a significant number of students from matriculating.

Alongside the FAFSA, it is imperative for families to engage early with platforms such as the College Board’s CSS Profile. They can help unlock a broad spectrum of financial support options, from federal aid to merit-based scholarships offered by institutions. For example, utilizing tools like the Federal Student Aid Estimator and individual college’s net price calculators can provide early insights into eligibility for federal financial assistance, guiding strategic financial planning for college.

Master Your College Admissions Strategy

As the 2024 college admissions landscape poses its share of complexities, students and families are encouraged to embrace a multifaceted approach tailored to the evolving standards of higher education. From adapting to the reemergence of standardized testing requirements at esteemed institutions like Dartmouth, Brown, and MIT, to addressing the challenges posed by the digitalization of the SAT and the nuanced evaluation of college essays at Duke, it's clear that flexibility and strategic planning are paramount. Furthermore, the rise in early application submissions highlights the importance of proactivity and informed decision-making in securing a favorable college admission outcome. By fostering a thorough understanding of these trends and deploying an informed application strategy, students can enhance their prospects of achieving their academic and career aspirations in this dynamic admissions environment.

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