How to Send SAT Scores to Colleges: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

You have taken the SAT, waited for your score, and started building your college list. Now comes a small but important part of the application process: sending your SAT scores to colleges.

At first, the process can seem more complicated than it really is. Should you send scores before seeing them? Can you choose which SAT attempts colleges receive? What happens if a college superscores? And do you even need to order an official score report if the college lets you self-report?

The good news is that sending SAT scores is fairly straightforward once you understand the choices involved. This guide walks you through the process step by step so you can send the right scores, avoid unnecessary fees, and keep your college applications on schedule.

How Do You Send SAT Scores to Colleges?

Official SAT scores are sent through your College Board account. After signing in, you can select the colleges or scholarship programs that should receive your scores, choose eligible SAT test dates when Score Choice is available, review the order, and submit it.

The actual process only takes a few minutes. The more important step happens before you place the order: checking what each college wants.

Testing policies are not identical from one school to another. A college may allow applicants to self-report scores, require an official College Board report, superscore results from multiple SAT dates, or follow its own score-submission deadline. Check the admissions page of each college before sending anything.

Start by Checking Each College's SAT Policy

Before logging in to College Board and ordering reports, visit the official admissions website for each college on your list.

Look specifically at its standardized-testing requirements. You want to know whether the college is test optional, whether it accepts self-reported scores during the application process, whether official scores are required, and whether it superscores the SAT.

This simple step matters because you may not need to pay for an official report immediately. It also helps you decide which SAT dates are worth sending if you have taken the test more than once.

Testing policies can change between admission cycles, so use the college's current admissions page rather than relying on an old forum post, social-media answer, or college list you saved months ago.

Step 1: Sign In to Your College Board Account

Once you know which colleges need your scores, sign in to the College Board account connected to your SAT registration.

From your account, go to the SAT score-sending area. You should be able to review your available SAT scores and begin selecting colleges or scholarship programs.

Use the same account you used when registering for the SAT. Creating a second account can make accessing your existing testing information more difficult.

Step 2: Choose the Colleges That Should Receive Your Scores

Search for each college by name and make sure you select the correct institution.

This sounds obvious, but universities with several campuses can have different score-recipient codes. Colleges with similar names can also appear in search results.

Take a moment to confirm the campus and institution before continuing. Sending a report to the wrong school means you may need to place another order and pay another reporting fee.

Step 3: Decide Which SAT Scores to Send

If you have taken the SAT more than once, this is where Score Choice becomes important.

College Board's Score Choice feature allows students to choose which already-scored SAT test dates they send. The choice is made by test date, not by individual section. In other words, you cannot manually send the Math score from one SAT date and the Reading and Writing score from another as a single test result.

Suppose you took the SAT in March, June, and August. Depending on the college's policy, you might decide to send only your August score or send two or more test dates.

Before making that decision, check whether the college superscores and whether it asks applicants to provide all SAT results.

If you want a deeper explanation of this decision, read the Prepitus guide on SAT Score Choice Explained: When to Use It and When Not to Send All Your Scores.

Score Choice and Superscoring Are Not the Same Thing

These two terms are often confused, but they describe different parts of the process.

Score Choice is what you do. It lets you choose which eligible SAT test dates to send.

Superscoring is what a college may do after receiving scores from multiple test dates. A college that superscores can consider your highest Math score and your highest Reading and Writing score even when those scores came from different SAT administrations.

For example, imagine that your strongest Reading and Writing score came from your first SAT, while your strongest Math score came from your second. If a college superscores, sending both test dates may allow the institution to consider those two stronger section results together.

Because superscoring policies belong to individual colleges, check each school's current admissions policy before deciding which dates to send.

What About the Four Free SAT Score Reports?

College Board currently allows students taking a weekend SAT to send scores to up to four colleges or scholarship programs for free. You can choose recipients during registration and make or change those selections through nine days after the test.

The timing is different for SAT School Day. Students testing through their school generally need to choose their free recipients during exam setup or within three days after testing.

There is one important tradeoff: Score Choice is not available for these free score sends. College Board states that Score Choice applies to already-scored tests sent later online or by phone, not to the free sends connected with weekend registration or in-school testing.

That means students sometimes face a decision. Using the free reports can save money, but waiting until scores are released gives you more information before deciding what to send.

Neither approach is automatically right for every student. Consider your previous SAT scores, application deadlines, college policies, and whether you are comfortable sending the new score before seeing it.

How Much Does It Cost to Send SAT Scores?

If you order score reports after the free reporting period, College Board currently charges $15 per additional score report. Rush reporting costs an additional $31, on top of applicable score-report fees. These fees are listed through December 2026.

Students who qualify for an SAT fee waiver receive unlimited free score reports to colleges. Optional services such as rush reporting are not covered by the fee waiver.

Because SAT fees can change, it is worth checking College Board's current fee page when you are ready to place an order.

How Long Does It Take to Send SAT Scores to Colleges?

College Board says additional score reports sent through standard delivery are typically sent within 5–10 business days after the order is placed.

But there is an important difference between College Board sending your score and the college processing it.

Once a college receives the report, its admissions office may need additional time to match the score with your application and update your applicant portal. That is why sending an official score at the last possible moment can create unnecessary stress.

Rather than following one universal rule such as "send your scores exactly two weeks early," work backward from the deadline listed by each college and leave a reasonable buffer for processing.

This becomes especially important for Early Action and Early Decision, when application deadlines may fall close to fall SAT dates. If you are still choosing when to take the test, the Prepitus guide on How to Choose the Right SAT Test Date for Your Timeline can help you plan backward from your application deadlines.

What If You Need SAT Scores Sent Quickly?

College Board offers rush reporting for scores that have already been released.

Rush reports are generally sent within 1–4 business days, excluding weekends and holidays. However, rush reporting does not make your SAT score become available earlier, and it does not control how quickly a college processes the report after receiving it.

Before paying for rush reporting, check with the college. If the admissions office still needs several days to process incoming scores, paying for faster delivery may not solve the problem you are trying to fix.

Can You Self-Report SAT Scores?

Many students encounter another option during the application process: self-reporting.

When a college permits self-reporting, you enter your SAT scores directly into the application or the college's applicant portal rather than immediately sending an official score report.

The important point is that every college can set its own requirements. A school might accept self-reported scores while reviewing your application but ask admitted students to provide official scores later. Another institution may request an official report earlier.

Follow the instructions provided by the college you are applying to. If self-reporting is allowed, copy the numbers directly from your SAT score record rather than entering them from memory.

When Should You Send Your SAT Scores?

There is no single perfect date that applies to every student.

A better approach is to think about your application as a timeline. Start with the college's application and testing deadlines, then ask whether you still plan to retake the SAT and whether the institution allows self-reporting.

If your strongest SAT score is already available and the college requires an official report, there is usually little benefit in waiting until the deadline approaches.

If you are planning another SAT attempt, the decision may be different. You may want to understand how the college handles later scores, superscoring, and testing deadlines before sending anything.

The goal is not simply to send your SAT score as quickly as possible. The goal is to send the right score, in the right way, at the right time.

Common SAT Score-Sending Mistakes to Avoid

Most score-reporting problems are surprisingly simple.

Students sometimes assume colleges automatically receive SAT scores when they submit an application. Others confuse Score Choice with superscoring or assume that Score Choice allows them to mix individual sections from different dates.

Another common mistake is waiting until the application deadline before checking whether an official report is required.

Before you submit an order, make sure you have checked the college's current testing policy, selected the correct campus, reviewed the SAT dates you are sending, and confirmed the college's score deadline.

That small review can prevent most score-reporting problems.

Should You Send All of Your SAT Scores?

It depends on the colleges on your list and your testing history.

If one SAT attempt is clearly more serious and the college allows Score Choice, you may decide that sending only that test date makes sense. If different test dates contain your strongest section scores and the college superscores, sending multiple SAT dates may be useful.

Some colleges or scholarship programs may have their own requirements regarding score submission, so the institution's published policy should guide your decision. College Board also advises students to check the score-use requirements of the colleges receiving their results.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I send my SAT scores to colleges?

Sign in to your College Board account, go to the SAT score-sending section, select the colleges or programs that should receive your scores, choose eligible test dates when applicable, review the order, and submit it.

Can I choose which SAT scores colleges receive?

For already-scored tests, College Board's Score Choice feature can allow you to select scores by complete SAT test date. You cannot choose individual Math or Reading and Writing section scores separately.

How many SAT score reports are free?

Students taking a weekend SAT can currently select up to four free score recipients and use or change those selections through nine days after the test. SAT School Day uses a shorter three-day selection period after testing.

How much does it cost to send an SAT score?

College Board currently lists additional SAT score reports at $15 per report, with separate fees for optional services such as rush reporting.

How long does it take colleges to receive SAT scores?

College Board typically sends standard additional score reports within 5–10 business days after an order is placed. Colleges may then need additional time to process the report.

Can I send only my highest Math score?

Not by itself. Score Choice works by SAT date. If a college superscores, however, it may use your highest section scores from multiple submitted test dates.

Do I have to send SAT scores to every college?

No. Follow the testing policy of each college on your application list. Depending on the institution, scores may be required, optional, self-reported, or officially reported through College Board.

Final Thoughts

Sending SAT scores to colleges should not be one of the stressful parts of applying.

Start by checking each college's testing policy. Then decide whether you need an official score report, which test dates make sense to send, and how much time you should allow before the deadline.

If you have taken the SAT more than once, understand the difference between Score Choice and superscoring before making your selection. And if a college allows self-reporting, follow its instructions carefully rather than paying for reports you may not yet need.

A few minutes of planning now can save money, prevent last-minute problems, and help you move through the rest of your college applications with much more confidence.

What's Next?

Sending your SAT score is only one part of the application process. Once your score strategy is settled, make sure your testing schedule, college list, essays, activities, and deadlines are working together.

Continue with SAT Score Choice Explained: When to Use It and When Not to Send All Your Scores, or use the College Application Checklist: A Step-by-Step SAT, Essays & Activities Workflow to organize the rest of your application process.

Prepitus helps students connect Digital SAT preparation with college planning, so test preparation is not treated as an isolated task. The goal is to help students understand where they are, what they need to improve, and how each decision fits into the larger college admissions journey.