How To Send SAT Scores To Colleges: | Free Sends, Score Choice, Rush Orders

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This is a situation that happens more frequently than you may imagine: a kid prepares for the SAT for months, takes the exam, receives a good score, and then sends it to the incorrect school, at the incorrect time, via the incorrect method. Alternatively, they pay $12 for each college they may have already reached for free if they miss the free-send time.

It looks easy to send SAT results. Most of the time it is. However, every application cycle, thousands of students are confused by the specifics, including the 9-day window, Score Choice, superscoring, fast orders, fee exemptions, and archived scores.

Everything is covered in this tutorial, including how to send SAT results to universities using all three official methods, when to send them, how much it costs, how Score Choice and superscoring operate, and what universities like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford actually demand. This is the only guidance you need, regardless of whether you’re rushing to meet a January deadline or applying for Early Decision in October.

Why Sending SAT Scores Officially Matters

One thing must be made clear before we begin: self-reported SAT scores will not be accepted as your official submission by colleges.

• Scores must be provided straight from the College Board to the institutions. They refuse to accept:
• Your College Board score report’s screenshots
• Copies of your score page online
• Your application portal contains unofficial score reports.
• SAT results that are listed on your transcript (at most universities)

Official score reports from the College Board are still required after acceptance, even for institutions that permit you to self-report scores during the first application process for early assessment or interview purposes. Thus, you can save time and money by doing this correctly from the beginning.

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The Three Official Ways to Send SAT Scores

There are three ways to submit certified SAT score reports to institutions, according to the College Board. When you send and how much control you want over which scores are shared will determine which one you utilize. 

Method 1: Free Score Sends (During or Just After Registration)

This is the most cost-effective method, and it’s where most students should start.

When you register for the SAT, or in some cases, on test day, the College Board lets you send your scores to up to four colleges or scholarship programs for free.

Important rules for free score sends:

• For SAT Weekend tests: You can choose or change your four free score recipients within nine days of your test date, even before your scores are released. After the nine-day window closes, score sends cost $12 per college.
• For SAT School Day tests (taken at your school during the school week): You must select your free score sent during exam setup or within three days after testing, using the Bluebook™ app with your sign-in ticket.
• Score Choice is NOT available for free sends. When you use a free send, the College Board sends your complete score report from that test date automatically. You cannot use Score Choice to filter which sections or dates are shared through free sends.

The trade-off: You’re committing to send scores before you see them. If you performed below expectations, those scores go to your selected colleges automatically once released. There’s no way to cancel a free send after the window closes.

Who should use free sends:

• Students who prepared thoroughly and are confident in their performance
• Students with approaching application deadlines who need scores delivered quickly
• Students using fee waivers (more on this below)

Method 2: Standard Score Sends After Score Release ($12 Per College)

You have the opportunity to view your scores before deciding where to submit them.

Once your results are available, you can obtain additional score reports for $12 per college by logging into your College Board account and going to the Scores area. There are two benefits to using the usual paid method:

Your scores are displayed first. There are no surprises

• There is a Score Choice option. You can select which test dates to submit (see Score Choice below for further information).
• Delivery schedule: The College Board usually sends scores to colleges in one to two weeks after you make a normal score send order. When making plans for application deadlines, keep this in mind.

Standard sends should be used by:

Students who have taken the SAT more than once and wish to choose carefully which results to share

Students who wanted to evaluate their marks first because they weren’t sure in their performance

Students who apply to universities that allow them to select test dates under Score Choice policies

Method 3: Rush Score Reports ($31 Per College, In Addition to the $12 Fee)

Do you have a deadline coming up? Your SAT scores are sent to colleges via rush reporting within one to four business days of the purchase being finalized.

Crucial details about rush orders:

• Each report costs $31 in addition to the standard $12 fee, bringing the total cost per college to $43.
• Rush reporting is only available for scores that have already been made public.
• Rush orders cannot be canceled after they are placed.
• Rush reporting is only available for online (electronic) score reports; scores that have been preserved for more than five years are not.

Rush ordering ought to be a last resort rather than a primary strategy. If you regularly employ rush orders, you should carefully organize your testing and sending schedule. 

Step-by-Step: How to Send SAT Scores Online

The precise procedure for transferring scores through your College Board account following score release is as follows:

Step 1: Log into your student account at collegeboard.org.

Step 2: From the top navigation menu, click “SAT” and choose “Scores.”

Step 3: On your dashboard, locate the “Send Scores” option. Press it.

Step 4: Look for colleges using their four-digit College Board score reporting code or by name. (School codes are available at bigfuture.collegeboard.org/colleges.)

Step 5: Decide which universities to send your test results to. You will be asked which test dates to include if you have taken the SAT many times; here is where Score Choice comes into play.

Step 6: Examine your choices. Examine each school’s rules regarding the submission of scores (some will show it here).

Step 7: Finish paying for any scores that exceed your free sends. After your order is processed, you will receive an email confirming it. 

How long before your results are sent to colleges?

After placing an order, standard shipping takes one to two weeks. One to four business days are needed for rush delivery. It may take a few more business days for a college to process your results and add them to your application file, even after they get them.

SAT Score Sends: Cost at a Glance

SAT Fee Waivers: Unlimited Free Score Sends

This is the biggest and most neglected benefit of sending SAT scores.

Even after scores are made public, students who are eligible for a SAT fee waiver will continue to get unlimited free score sends. This implies that you have complete Score Choice access and can send your scores to as many institutions as you like for free.

You typically need to fulfill one of the following requirements in order to be eligible for a SAT cost waiver:

• Participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
• Getting aid from the government (your family)
• Enrolled in a low-income student program at the federal, state, or local levels
• Residing in a foster home or public housing that receives federal subsidies
• Homeless or a state ward

How to make a claim: Consult the counselor at your high school. They can offer a fee waiver code and confirm eligibility. Before paying for any score sends, always check your College Board account for fee waiver alerts. If you qualify but haven’t claimed it, you’re losing out on money.

Score Choice: Choosing Which SAT Scores to Send

Score Choice is a free College Board program that gives you control over which SAT test dates’ scores you send to each college.

Here’s what Score Choice means in practice: if you took the SAT in March, August, and November, Score Choice lets you send only the November scores – or only the March and November scores – to a specific college. The college won’t see the August scores unless you choose to include them.

Important limitations:

• Score Choice works by test date, not by section. You cannot send your Math score from one date and your Reading & Writing score from another using Score Choice alone.
• Score Choice is not available for free sends. It only applies when you send scores after score release.
• Not all colleges allow Score Choice. Some schools – including several highly selective universities – require you to submit all SAT scores from every test date you’ve taken. Always verify a school’s policy before assuming Score Choice applies.

Schools that require all scores (Score Choice NOT allowed):

• MIT
• Yale University
• Georgetown University

Schools that allow Score Choice (send only your preferred test dates):

• Most colleges and universities allow this, including many top-25 schools

Pro tip: Even at schools that require all scores, knowing they superscore (see below) should give you confidence. They’ll see all your attempts, but officially evaluate only your highest section scores.

SAT Superscoring: Your Most Powerful Tool

Superscoring and Score Choice are closely related but different, and understanding the distinction can significantly affect how you submit your scores.

Superscoring is when a college takes your highest Reading & Writing score and your highest Math score from across all the test dates you submit, even if those top scores came from different sittings, and combines them into your best possible total.

Example:

• March SAT: 680 Reading & Writing / 720 Math = 1400 total
• October SAT: 740 Reading & Writing / 690 Math = 1430 total

If a college superscores, they look at this and give you 740 R&W + 720 Math = 1460 – higher than either of your actual test-day totals.

Most major U.S. universities now superscore the SAT. This means retaking the SAT to improve one section doesn’t risk hurting your application if the other section dips – the college only uses your best from each.

Schools that superscore SAT (partial list): Brown University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Emory University, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Princeton University, Tufts University, Vanderbilt, Washington University in St. Louis, Yale University, and hundreds more.

Key strategic implication: At superscoring schools, it’s often in your interest to send scores from multiple test dates- even if one sitting was lower overall, so the college can construct the highest possible superscore from your section peaks.

Important nuance: Most colleges that superscore still want you to submit all test dates, not just your highest. They’ll see all the scores but only officially evaluate the best section combination. This is different from Score Choice, where you actually hide certain dates.

When Should You Send SAT Scores to Colleges?

Timing is one of the most common areas where students make avoidable mistakes. Here’s a simple framework:

If you’re applying Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA): Most ED/EA deadlines fall in late October or early November. Scores should be sent or already on file by early October at the latest -ideally sooner, since delivery takes 1–2 weeks and colleges need processing time after receipt.

If you’re taking the August SAT and applying EA in November, plan carefully. August scores release in mid-to-late September, which gives you a narrow window to send before EA deadlines. Use rush reporting if needed.

If you’re applying Regular Decision (RD): Most RD deadlines fall January 1–15. Send scores no later than early-to-mid December to ensure delivery and processing before the deadline. Don’t wait until the last week of December.

If you’re a junior considering retaking the SAT: Do not send scores during junior year unless you’re confident in your result and plan to apply to schools that superscore. Wait until you’ve retaken the test and seen all your scores before committing to sends. Sending junior-year scores too early limits your strategic flexibility.

SAT Score Sending Timeline at a Glance:

Understanding School-Specific Score Policies

Before you send anything, look up the score submission policy for every school on your list. Three categories exist:

1. Accept Score Choice The college lets you pick which test dates to share. They only see what you send. Score Choice fully applies.

2. Recommend All Scores (but don’t require them) The college encourages submitting all test dates, often because they want to superscore accurately, but won’t penalize you for using Score Choice. Princeton falls into this category: they allow Score Choice but encourage submitting all scores.

3. Require All Scores The college requires you to submit every SAT attempt. MIT is the clearest example, their admissions office explicitly states this as a requirement. Submitting incomplete score histories to schools in this category violates their application requirements.

Always check directly on the admissions website of each college you’re applying to. Policies can change, especially as more schools shift in and out of test-optional status. Don’t rely on third-party summaries alone for this.

What’s Included in Your Official SAT Score Report?

When a college receives your official SAT score report from the College Board, they see:

• Total Score (400–1600): Your combined Math and Reading & Writing score
• Section Scores: Math (200–800) and Reading & Writing (200–800) separately
• Subscores (1–15 scale): Detailed breakdowns within each section – Information and Ideas, Craft and Structure, Expression of Ideas, Standard English Conventions (R&W); Algebra, Advanced Math, Problem-Solving & Data Analysis, Geometry/Trig (Math)
• College Readiness Benchmarks: A green checkmark indicator showing whether you met the College Board’s college-ready thresholds
• Demographic information sufficient for identity matching (name, date of birth, graduation year)

Colleges do not receive your essay score (the SAT essay was discontinued after 2021), previous years’ PSAT scores (unless separately sent), or your practice test results.

Common Mistakes Students Make When Sending SAT Scores

These are the mistakes SAT instructors and college counselors see every year:

Mistake 1: Missing the 9-day free window The nine days after your test date go fast. Many students don’t think about score sends until scores are released, and by then, they’re paying $12 per school for scores that could have been sent for free. Set a reminder before test day.

Mistake 2: Using free sends for schools you’re not serious about You only get four free sends. Don’t waste them on safety schools you’re 80% sure you won’t attend. Save free sends for your top choices. Send safety schools through paid sends after reviewing your scores.

Mistake 3: Not checking the school’s score policy first Sending Score Choice-filtered scores to a school that requires all test dates is an application integrity issue. Always verify the policy before ordering score reports.

Mistake 4: Conflating superscoring with Score Choice They work differently. Score Choice controls which dates a college sees. Superscoring is about how a college uses the scores you send. A school can both require all scores AND superscore them – they see everything, but only count your best section peaks.

Mistake 5: Sending scores too late Score delivery takes one to two weeks after you place the order. Processing at the college takes additional time. Students who send scores the week of a deadline regularly run into problems. Build in at least three to four weeks of buffer before any application deadline.

Mistake 6: Forgetting about archived score fees If you took the SAT more than five years ago (rare for current high school students, but relevant for some NRI retakers), those are “archived scores”, they cost more to send and cannot be rush-delivered. Check this before assuming standard fees apply.

Mistake 7: Not using fee waiver score sends Students who qualify for fee waivers and pay $12/send are leaving real money behind. Always check your eligibility before paying anything.

How to Send SAT Scores for NRI and International Students

For  NRI students applying to U.S. universities from India or other countries, the process is largely the same, you send through your College Board account, and official score reports are delivered electronically. A few additional considerations apply:

Application timeline differences: U.S. university deadlines for NRI applicants are the same as for domestic students (October/November for EA/ED, January for RD). However, score report processing at some international admissions offices can take slightly longer. Build in extra buffer time, aim to send scores 4–5 weeks before your deadline.

Rupee costs: For reference, the standard $12 score send fee currently equals approximately ₹1,000–₹1,100 depending on exchange rates. Rush reporting ($43 total) runs approximately ₹3,500–₹3,800.

School codes for international students: U.S. colleges have the same four-digit College Board codes regardless of where you’re applying from. Use bigfuture.collegeboard.org to look up codes.

Test-optional policies: Many U.S. universities have recently reinstated standardized testing requirements (Stanford, for example, resumed test requirements starting with the Fall 2026 cycle). Always verify the current policy directly with each school’s admissions office — this landscape has shifted significantly over the past three years.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for universities to receive SAT results?

Delivery of a regular score send order takes one to two weeks. With the exception of weekends and holidays, rush reporting is delivered in one to four working days. Colleges may require a few more business days to process and attach scores to your submission after delivery.

Can I submit colleges only my best SAT score?

Depending on the school, yes. You will be able to select which test dates to submit to colleges that use Score Choice. All-score colleges won’t. Many colleges use superscore, which allows them to create your best composite even if you submitted it on different occasions. Always check the policies of each school.

What is the cost of sending SAT results?

If used within the registration time, the first four sends are free (up to nine days after the test for weekend tests and three days after the test for school day tests). Sends cost $12 per college after that. For each college, rush reporting adds $31. Free sends are unlimited for students who receive fee waivers.

What is Score Choice on the SAT?

When the institution permits it, Score Choice, a free institution Board tool, allows you to select which test date’s SAT results to transmit to each college. It operates based on the entire test date rather than just specific bits. Free score sends are not possible with it.

Is it possible for universities to view my SAT results if I didn’t send them?

Generally speaking, no. Only the score reports you formally submit through the College Board are sent to colleges. On the other hand, it is an application integrity violation with severe repercussions if a college demands all scores and you intentionally conceal test dates.

What does SAT superscoring entail?

Superscoring is the process by which a college creates the best possible composite score by combining your top math and reading and writing scores from several test dates, even if they were from different sittings. The college, not the College Board, is in charge of superscoring.

Do I have to submit my SAT results in order to receive my results?

No, you can commit free sends prior to the release of results, but you can also employ paid standard sends for complete control when scores are made available. Waiting costs $12 per school but gets you Score Choice.

Can my PSAT results be seen by colleges?

Standard SAT score reports do not include PSAT results. The majority of institutions do not accept PSAT results for undergraduate admissions, so you would need to submit them separately.

Q: What happens if I send my SAT scores to the wrong college?

Once a score is processed, it cannot be canceled or diverted via the College Board. For the right institution, you will have to place a new order. For this reason, it is crucial to verify college names and four-digit numbers twice before confirming any order. 

SAT Score Sending Decision Guide

Prior to placing any score send orders, use this framework:

Step 1: Review the score policy of the school. Does the school accept Score Choice, recommend all scores, or require all results? Visit the admissions website of each school to find this.

Step 2: Verify the status of your fee waiver by logging into your College Board account. Your limitless free sends are active if you qualify for a fee waiver. Pay only once you have verified this.

Step 3: Select your time. Is it more than three weeks till your deadline? Make use of standard sends. Not even a week? Make use of expedited ordering. Are you still inside the nine-day window following the test? If you are sure of your score, use free sends.

Step 4: Use Score Choice if necessary Choose the test dates that give you the best presentation if you’ve taken the SAT more than once and the school permits Score Choice, particularly if the institution doesn’t superscore.

Step 5: Provide all pertinent dates if the school superscores Even if one sitting was lower overall, sending several test dates is usually beneficial at superscoring colleges since the school creates your best composite from section peaks across dates.

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