Guide To Send SAT Score To Colleges – Fee, Procedure, Schedule

Sending SAT scores strategically is a key part of the college application process that can impact your chances of admission. While SAT prep is important, timely and accurate score submission is equally crucial.

Admissions offices use SAT scores to evaluate your academic readiness, and timely reporting ensures your application is fully considered. Understanding the fees, procedure, and schedule for sending scores will help you achieve the best outcome.

While you’re technically able to take the SAT as many times as you’d like, there are only seven test dates per calendar year, and you’ll have to pay a $60 fee each time you take the exam. While targeted preparation can certainly help improve scores, the strategy behind when to send those scores is equally vital. 

Colleges have deadlines and preferences for receiving SAT results, so timely reporting ensures your best scores are considered. This guide covers the key steps for sending your scores, including fees, the procedure, and scheduling.

When to Send SAT Scores?

Timing is key when it comes to sending your SAT scores. You have up to nine days after your test to select or change your free score sends before the SAT score send price applies. 

If you take the SAT during the school week, you must choose your free score sends either during exam setup or within three days after testing, as instructed by your school.

Plan ahead to avoid paying the SAT score send price and ensure your scores reach colleges before important deadlines. Whether applying through Early Decision, Regular Decision, or Rolling Admissions, make sure to send your scores early enough to be considered in your application review.

Here’s how to maximize your chances.   

• Early Decision: Send your scores as soon as they’re available, ideally before the application deadline.
• Regular Decision: Aim to send scores well before the deadline to ensure they’re received and processed in time.
• Rolling Admissions: Send your scores as early as possible, as decisions are made continuously.

Methods to Send SAT Scores

When applying to colleges, sending SAT scores through the College Board platform is a crucial step. Making smart choices early in the process can save you time and money. 

Here are some efficient ways to handle SAT score reporting. 

1. Smart Choices: How to Send Scores Efficiently?

The College Board platform allows you to send your SAT scores directly to colleges. You can choose up to four schools to receive your scores for free when you register for the SAT. 

If you wait until after the test, there will be a fee for each additional report. To avoid unnecessary costs, decide on your college list ahead of time. This way, you maximize the free reports and minimize expenses later on.

2. Pre-Test Planning: Select Colleges Early

Choosing which colleges to send your scores to before you even take the SAT is a smart strategy. It not only helps you avoid extra fees but also reduces stress as you approach application deadlines. 

By planning early, you’ll be ready to send scores as soon as they’re available, ensuring you stay ahead of your deadlines.

3. Rush vs. Regular Reporting: What Works Best for Your Application?

When sending SAT scores, you have two options: regular or rush reporting. Regular score reporting typically takes about one to two weeks. This is the most cost-effective method and works best if you have plenty of time before your deadlines. 

However, if you’re facing a tight deadline, rush reporting is available. This method delivers scores in about two business days but comes with an additional fee. Use rush reporting sparingly, as it’s more expensive and only necessary when you’re short on time.

Here’s a quick comparison of both methods:

Method	Delivery Time	SAT Score Send Price	Details
Regular Reporting	5–10 business days	0 to $14 per report	The first four reports are free if ordered within nine days. Fees apply after nine days.
Rush Reporting	1–4 business days (excluding holidays)	$31	Additional score report fees apply.

Also Read: Report SAT Essay On Common App & Combining Them.

SAT Score Send Price: How to Save on Costs? 

Sending your SAT scores to colleges is an important part of the application process, but the SAT score send price can add up if you’re not careful. So, do you have to pay to send SAT scores? Yes, if you don’t take advantage of the free score reports included when you register for the test, you’ll be charged around $14 per report after the free period. 

Here’s how to take advantage of these options and keep your SAT score-sending costs under control.

1. Free Score Reports

When you register for the SAT, you can send your scores to up to four colleges for free. Take advantage of this to avoid paying the SAT score send price of $14 per report later. Even if you’re unsure, it’s a cost-effective way to cover your bases.

2. Fee Waivers for Low-Income Students

Low-income students may qualify for fee waivers that allow them to send unlimited score reports at no cost. You can apply for these waivers through your school or the College Board. In addition to covering SAT score sending, fee waivers often cover college application fees, helping you save even more.

3. Cost-Saving Tips

To avoid rush fees, plan ahead and send your scores early. If you qualify, take full advantage of fee waivers to send scores to as many schools as you need without extra costs. 

Additionally, if you’ve taken the SAT more than once, sending all scores in one batch will help you minimize fees.

4. Maximizing College Board’s Free Resources

The College Board offers several free tools to help you manage the SAT process efficiently. 

For example, BigFuture allows you to research colleges and scholarship programs, helping you make informed decisions about where to send your scores. Additionally, their Score Choice feature allows you to send only your best scores to colleges that accept this option, minimizing the need for multiple test reports.

To enhance your SAT prep even further, LearnQ.ai provides valuable resources like practice tests with customizable difficulty levels and an AI tutor, Mia. By combining College Board’s free tools with LearnQ.ai’s advanced preparation platform, you can boost your scores and reduce the need for retakes, saving on score-sending fees.

Also Read: Comparing Difficulty: Real SAT vs Practice Tests. 

How to Send SAT Scores? (Step-by-Step)

With more than 1.9 million students from the high school class of 2023 taking the SAT, according to the 2023 SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report, sending your scores efficiently is more important than ever. 

Properly sending your scores ensures that they arrive on time for college admissions, giving you a competitive edge. Here’s how you can send your scores to additional institutions.

• Sign In: Log in to your College Board account.
• Go to Send SAT Scores: Navigate to the “Send SAT Scores” page.
• Fee Waivers (If Applicable): If you see a fee waiver prompt, follow the instructions or ignore it if not relevant.
• Select Institutions: Search for colleges by name or code, then add them to your score recipient list.
• Choose Scores to Send: Send all scores or select specific ones. Some institutions may require all scores, so check each school’s policy.
• Review and Checkout: Confirm your order and check out.
• Delivery Time: Standard delivery takes 5–10 business days. Rush shipping (for already released scores) takes 1–4 business days.

Score Choice Strategy

Selecting which SAT scores to send is a strategic move that can significantly impact your college application. 

With the Score Choice option, you have the flexibility to send only your highest scores from multiple test dates, which can help showcase your best performance. However, not all colleges allow this, so it’s important to check each institution’s policy before making your decisions.

To maximize your chances, here’s a smart approach:

• Assess Your Best Performance: Review your scores across all test dates and identify where you performed the strongest in each section. If you scored higher on the math section in one test and the reading section in another, you can combine those scores if the college allows super-scoring.
• Consider College Policies: Some schools require you to submit all your test scores, while others allow you to choose which ones to send. Research each college’s specific SAT score reporting policy before using the Score Choice feature.
  
• Avoid Over-Sending Scores: You don’t need to send every SAT score if the school allows you to be selective. Focus on sending scores that align with or exceed the college’s middle 50% range to make a stronger impression.
• Timely Sending: Be sure to send your scores before application deadlines to avoid any delays. Proper planning also helps you save on the SAT score send price for additional reports.

Avoid Errors 

Mistakes in sending your SAT scores can cost you time and money and even impact your college application. To ensure your scores reach the right colleges smoothly, it’s crucial to double-check every detail before hitting submit.

• Verify Your Score Selections: Make sure you’ve selected the correct test dates and scores, especially if you’re using the Score Choice option. Sending the wrong scores can weaken your application, so take the time to review your selections carefully.
• Check College Destinations: Ensure that the colleges you’ve chosen to receive your scores are correct. A simple typo or wrong code can result in your scores going to the wrong institution, delaying your application review.
• Review Deadlines: Be aware of each college’s score submission deadlines. Missing a deadline could result in your application being incomplete, regardless of your SAT performance.

Here’s a table with the top 5 colleges and their SAT score submission deadlines. 

College with QS Ranking 2025	Early Decision SAT Deadline	Regular Decision SAT Deadline
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (1)	November 1	January 1
Harvard University (4)	November 1	January 1
Stanford University (6)	November 1	January 5
Princeton University (22)	November 1	January 1
Yale University (23)	November 1	February 15

SAT Score Sending Schedule

When it comes to sending your SAT scores, timing is everything. Colleges rely on timely score reports, so knowing when your scores will be delivered can help you stay ahead of deadlines. 

Planning ahead and being aware of the specific delivery schedule will help you avoid any unexpected delays and ensure your scores are in the right hands at the right time.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the SAT score delivery schedule. 

Delivery Type	Delivery Days	Processing Time
Rush Delivery	Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays	1–4 business days after ordering
Non-Rush Delivery	Wednesdays	5–10 business days after ordering
Scores Ordered at Registration	Automatically sent once ready	Delivered once scores are available

Common Questions and Mistakes

Sending your SAT scores may seem straightforward, but a few small mistakes can lead to costly errors, like sending scores to the wrong colleges or missing crucial deadlines. 

Understanding how to get through the process, including Superscoring and Score Choice, can give your application an extra edge. And if something goes wrong, knowing how to fix the issue quickly is essential to keep your application on track.

Here’s a breakdown of some common mistakes and simple ways to avoid them. 

Mistake	How to Avoid?
Sending scores to the wrong colleges	Double-check your selected colleges before submitting your order.
Missing application deadlines	Plan your score submission at least two weeks in advance and use rush reporting if necessary.
Not taking advantage of Superscoring	Research each college’s Superscoring policy and use Score Choice to send your best scores.
Scores not received by colleges	Contact College Board and the admissions office to ensure proper processing.

Conclusion

Sending your SAT scores is a critical part of your college application process, and understanding the SAT score send price, deadlines, and strategies can make a big difference. 

By planning ahead, using fee waivers, and taking advantage of tools like Score Choice, you can ensure your scores reach colleges on time without unnecessary expenses. Now that you know how to send your scores effectively, it’s time to focus on getting the best results.

Getting ready for the SAT or aiming to boost your essay score? Get started with LeanQ! With free diagnostic tests, practice exams, and Mia, the super-smart AI tutor, by your side, you’ll be all set to ace your prep in no time!