How do I send my test scores to colleges?

To send SAT or ACT scores, you usually log into your College Board account for the SAT or your ACT account for the ACT, choose the colleges you want, and pay to send official score reports unless you still have free sends available. Many colleges also allow self-reported scores in the application portal or Common App, which means you do not need to send an official report until after you are admitted and decide to enroll. The key is to check each college’s admissions website carefully, because score policy varies by school and sometimes by application type.

For SAT scores, go to your College Board account, find the score sending section, search for each college, and submit the request. For ACT scores, do the same through your MyACT account. Official reports are sent electronically to most colleges, but processing can still take several days or sometimes longer during busy periods, so send them before the deadline rather than at the last minute.

If a college accepts self-reported scores, you can usually enter your highest section scores directly in the application. In that case, the college will review those scores without requiring an official report up front. If the college requires official scores for review, self-reporting is not enough.

Also check whether the college superscores, meaning it combines your highest section scores across test dates. For the SAT, colleges that superscore can usually do so once they receive the relevant test dates.

After sending, confirm receipt through the college applicant portal. That portal is usually the best place to see whether scores were matched to your application correctly.