Sending official test scores means navigating two completely separate systems, one for the SAT, one for the ACT, and getting the timing and cost details wrong is a surprisingly common, easily avoidable mistake. Here's exactly how it works.
Sending SAT Scores
Log in to your College Board account at collegeboard.org and navigate to the score-sending section. Select the colleges you want to receive your scores, and if the school allows Score Choice, choose which specific test dates to include (this lets you send only your strongest sitting rather than every date you've ever taken the test). Each standard report costs $13 per school; rush reports for last-minute deadlines cost more. If you registered with an eligible fee waiver, you typically get four free score sends included.
Sending ACT Scores
Log in to your ACT account at act.org and go to the score-sending section there. Select your target colleges and choose which composite score to send, note that ACT sends by composite score from a single test date, not section-by-section like SAT's Score Choice. Each report costs $16 per school. Before sending, check each target school's ACT superscore policy specifically: some schools combine your best section scores across multiple sittings into a new superscore, others only accept a single sitting's composite as-is.
Timing Matters More Than People Expect
Official score reports typically take one to two weeks to process and appear inside a college's admissions portal after you request them. Because of this lag, send your scores at least three weeks ahead of any deadline, if you're applying Early Decision or Early Action with a November 1st deadline, that means ordering your score reports in early October, not the week before. Waiting until the day an application is due to request scores is one of the more common, entirely preventable mistakes applicants make.
Self-Reported Scores Can Save You Money
Many colleges let you self-report your test scores directly in the application for the purposes of the initial admissions review, and only require an official score report after you've actually enrolled. Check each school's specific policy on this: it can meaningfully reduce the total cost of applying to a long list of schools, since you'd only need to send one official report (to your enrolled school) instead of paying for reports to every school you applied to.
Don't let logistics slip through the cracks
The Complete College Prep Playbook includes the full application timeline with every deadline mapped out, so score-sending and every other logistical piece happens on time, every time.
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