December FAQ—Superscoring: What Is It and How Does It Work?

If you’re a junior or senior taking the SAT or ACT, you may have started to hear about superscoring. This can raise many questions: What is superscoring? Which schools accept superscores? Do schools see all of the sections from each test when I superscore? In this blog, we’ll answer all of your questions about super scoring. 

What is Superscoring?

Superscoring is the option to combine your highest section scores from multiple test dates into a single, higher score. For example, if get your highest SAT math score in September but your highest RW score in October, you could combine them to get your optimal composite score. Superscoring is available for both the SAT and ACT, and two examples are shown below.

SAT Example

ACT Example

Do All Schools Superscore?

No, not all schools accept superscores. There are a few phrases you’ll need to understand:

Require all scores: these schools will ask you to send your test scores from each test you took
Encourages all scores: these schools want you to send all of your test date reports so they can craft a superscore for you
Accepts Score Choice: these schools will accept whichever test dates you choose to send them—meaning you can submit your best scores and omit the dates that didn’t go so well!

A school that accepts score choice but doesn’t superscore will look at an consider all of the scores you send them. A school that accepts score choice and superscores will pull the highest section score from across your tests and calculate your superscore themselves.

Each school determines its own policy, so be sure to research the admissions policies for each school you’re applying to. That way, you’ll be able to strategize accordingly!

Superscoring on ACT vs. SAT

The ACT offers a “Superscore Report” that you can send straight to schools, while the SAT offers “Score Choice”. 

ACT Superscore Report

When you log in, the ACT will automatically combine your top section scores and show you your superscore. You have the option to send the Superscore Report directly to colleges, including:

• Your composite superscore at the top
• Your highest composite score from a single test date
• Your full scores from all test dates that contribute to your superscore

So, keep in mind that schools will see all section scores from all tests that contribute to the superscore, but the superscore will be up top—front and center!

SAT Score Choice

The SAT offers students the opportunity to choose which scores to send to colleges. For example, let’s say a student has the following three test scores:

This student could choose to send their June and August scores to schools but omit their April SAT. They maybe weren’t as prepared for April, but then they studied over the summer. Score choice allows them to send their two highest scores—colleges will see their highest scores, and the colleges that superscore for the SAT will combine this student’s highest section scores for the superscore of 1430. When using score choice, make sure to include the test dates with your highest section scores to maximize your superscore!

Will Colleges that Superscore Look at my Other Section Scores?

This depends on how you submit your scores. If you self-report your scores, then no, they won’t have access to your other section scores. However, whether you submit an ACT superscore report or use SAT score choice, the admissions officers will see all of your test dates scores, including the ones that are not part of your superscore. However, schools that superscore will only consider your highest scores—your superscore—when making admissions decisions. 

Who Benefits from Superscoring?

The short answer is everyone. Anyone who has taken the SAT or ACT multiple times and has seen variation in their section scores can benefit from superscoring. The ACT has even conducted studies and found that superscoring does not disadvantage any subgroup of students over another.

If you’re wondering why admissions officers are so nice, they’re not: schools are always looking for ways to improve their statistics, and superscoring helps them boost their overall SAT/ACT score stats. So, even the colleges benefit. 

Should I Superscore My SAT or ACT?

There are three things you should consider when strategizing your test prep:

1. Do your schools superscore?
2. Do you need to submit all of your scores?
3. Is your superscore higher than your best composite score?

You may need to spend some time going through the admissions pages for the schools you’re applying to and find their specific requirements. Also, it’s always best to discuss your strategy with your college counselor before making any decisions!