Posted by Halle Edwards | Jun 19, 2015 8:28:38 PM

SAT LOGISTICS, SAT STRATEGIES

You can’t hide your rotten SAT scores from these schools.

Are you putting together your college application list? One factor you may not have considered is which schools require you to send your entire SAT testing record. Especially if you have some less-than-stellar scores, you might avoid, or at least think carefully, before applying to these schools.

We have a complete list of which schools require your complete SAT testing record. Read on for the list and exclusive advice for applying to these schools.

“All Scores” vs. Score Choice

Nearly all colleges require you to send at least one SAT score or ACT score as part of your application. But colleges differ on how they handle students with multiple sets of scores – for example, two sets of SAT scores.

Some colleges require you to send your entire testing record, even if that means sending not-so-great scores. (However, if you took the SAT in middle school or earlier as part of a talent-search program, you do not have to send those scores.)

Other colleges do not require you to send the full testing record (though they often recommend it anyway). At these schools, you can take advantage of SAT’s Score Choice Policy, which allows you to just send your best scores.

So what happens if you want to apply to a college that requires all SAT scores? What could be the benefits and drawbacks of revealing your entire testing record?

What Difference Could Sending All Scores Make?

You might be wondering why it matters if colleges see all of your SAT scores. Couldn’t it help your chances of admission if colleges see your complete testing record, including your highest section scores?

Indeed, colleges consider the entire testing history when it’s given, generally paying most attention to your highest scores achieved. However, when colleges specifically require you to send all of your scores, that means they are considering the lower scores as well. They aren’t just looking for low scores and throwing your application out, but the higher all of your scores are, the better.

A few weeks ago, when I was contacting colleges to research our New SAT investigation, I asked dozens of admissions officers if members of the Class of 2018 could take the current SAT but still submit it for admission. That would mean taking the SAT early in sophomore year or younger.

Many of the admissions officers cautioned against taking the SAT that young. “We’re still going to see those scores,” an admissions officer from Cornell told me – implying that potentially lower scores could, in fact, hurt your application.

While I want to take colleges at their word that even if they require all scores, they only look at the highest ones – they wouldn’t require all scores to be sent unless they want to consider them all. Including the lower ones.

How Does This Affect Your Test-Taking Strategy?

If you’re applying to schools that require all scores, you need to be very careful each time you take the SAT, because you will have to send any scores you get, even if they’re low.

Whatever you do, don’t wing the SAT. Careful preparation is key!

If you’re reading this and not sure which schools you’re applying to, we recommend taking a careful look at the schools that require you to send all scores. If any of the schools might be a top choice for you, adjust your test-taking policy accordingly.

In general, we only recommend taking (or re-taking) the SAT after you’ve studied and you’re certain you will get a higher score. But you will have to be extra-careful if you’re applying to an “all scores” school.

Don’t take the SAT the first time “for practice,” to get used to the test. Colleges will see that “practice score.” (Not to mention it’s a waste of the money you spend to take the test.)

We recommend taking the PSAT during sophomore and junior year to get the experience of taking the SAT and receiving a score without compromising your actual SAT score. Also, make taking complete, strictly-timed practice tests a part of your study regimen, so when you sit down to take the SAT for real, it isn’t your first time.

If you have to retake the SAT, make sure to continue to study for both sections (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math), even if you’re only trying to bring up one section’s score. You don’t want the score from your other section to drop on a retake.

If you want more tips on studying effectively, read more about how long you should study for the SAT and how to develop a target score.

By keeping this advice in mind, and only taking the SAT after studying carefully, you should be able to apply to “all scores” schools without worrying about lower scores weakening your application.

Notable Colleges That Require You to Send All SAT Scores

Before we get to the complete list of colleges that require all SAT scores, we’ll highlight some top schools you may be particularly interested in. We include quotes from their admissions websites so you have an idea of how serious they are about this policy.

Cornell University

“Note that Cornell requires students to submit all scores from SAT tests taken and does not participate in the College Board’s Score Choice,” Cornell cautions on their admissions website. (Also of note for students interested in Cornell: their various undergraduate schools have slightly different testing requirements, which you can see here.)

Rice University

“Rice uses the highest scores from any sitting on the SAT in order to consider each applicant’s most positive test results,” Rice writes on their admissions website. “Recognizing that this policy could disadvantage those students who cannot afford repeated testing or expensive test prep coaching, we believe a comprehensive testing history provides us with the appropriate context required for making a fair judgment of what the test scores mean in a holistic admission process. Therefore, we require all applicants submitting the SAT to submit all scores to Rice.”

Stanford University

“Applicants must self-report and submit all SAT scores and all ACT scores,” Stanford says. “Applicants may not use the College Board’s Score Choice feature or “hide” any scores with either testing agency.”

University of Pennsylvania

“Penn requires applicants to submit their entire testing history,” the University of Pennsylvania makes clear on their website. “Penn will pay attention to the highest scores from any test when reviewing a candidate’s application, but having the complete testing profile provides deeper insight.“

Yale University

Yale also includes SAT Subject Tests in its “all scores” policy: “If you take the SAT, SAT Subject Tests and/or the ACT, you need to have all of the results reported to Yale.”

University of California System

“In the College Board’s Score Choice module, ensure that all scores are sent to UC. We require all scores and will use the highest scores from a single administration,” the University of California says on their application website.

This is the policy for all schools in the University of California system, including Berkeley and UCLA.

Complete List of Colleges That Require All SAT Scores

This is the complete list of colleges that require you to send all SAT scores, grouped by state. Look through this list carefully. If any of the schools here are your top choices, that means you need to be especially careful about SAT retakes.