Self-reporting SAT scores means you type your scores directly into your college application instead of paying College Board to send an official report. Most colleges accept self-reported scores during the application phase, only requiring an official report after you enroll. This saves you $15 per school for every score report beyond your first four free ones, and it puts you in control of which scores appear on your application.
Where to Enter Scores on Your Application
The Common App has a dedicated Testing section where you can self-report standardized test scores. When you reach this section, you’ll see fields for the SAT (and ACT, AP exams, and others). Enter the date you took the test and your section scores: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math. If you took the SAT more than once, you can add each sitting separately.
Fill in every section score for each test date you choose to report. Partial scores, listing only Math but not EBRW for a given sitting, won’t be considered by many schools. If you’re applying through a school’s own portal rather than the Common App, look for a “Testing” or “Standardized Tests” tab. The fields are similar: test date, section scores, and total score.
How to Handle Superscoring
Many colleges superscore the SAT, meaning they take your highest EBRW from one sitting and your highest Math from another to create a combined total. If a school superscores, you should report every sitting that contributes to your best possible combination. For example, if you scored 720 EBRW and 680 Math in March, then 690 EBRW and 750 Math in June, report both sittings. The admissions office will pull the 720 EBRW and the 750 Math for a superscore of 1470.
Keep in mind that when you eventually send official scores, College Board sends entire test dates, not individual sections. You can’t send your Math score from June without also sending the EBRW from that same day. So there’s no strategic advantage in hiding a lower section score from a particular sitting. Report the full results for each date you include.
Check Each School’s Score Policy First
Before you self-report, verify what each school on your list actually wants. Most colleges fall into one of three categories. Schools that accept self-reported scores during the application process and only need an official report once you commit to enroll. Schools that are test-optional, meaning you can choose whether to submit scores at all. And a smaller group that requires official score reports sent directly from College Board as part of the initial application.
The number of schools requiring scores has been shifting. Several large public university systems and military academies currently require SAT or ACT scores for admission. Some private institutions have also reinstated testing requirements. Policies change frequently, so check each school’s admissions website before assuming self-reporting is accepted. If a school requires official reports upfront, you’ll need to order those through College Board rather than relying on self-reported numbers.
Accuracy Matters
Self-reported scores are taken on good faith during the review process, but they will be verified. Once you enroll, you’ll need to send official score reports from College Board that match what you entered on your application. If you superscored by combining sections from multiple test dates, the school will need official reports from every sitting that contributed to that superscore.
Double-check your numbers against your College Board account before submitting. A typo that inflates your score, even accidentally, creates a problem when the official report arrives. If there’s a discrepancy, an admissions offer could be rescinded. Pull up your score report online and enter the exact figures.
Sending Official Reports Later
After you’ve been admitted and decide where to enroll, you’ll order official score reports through your College Board account. The process is straightforward: sign in, go to the Send SAT Scores page, search for your school by name or code, select which test dates to send, and check out. Standard delivery takes 5 to 10 business days. Rush delivery, available only for scores already released, takes 1 to 4 business days.
Each score report costs $15 beyond the four free reports you get if you order them within nine days of your test date. Since self-reporting lets you delay this step until you’ve made your enrollment decision, you typically only need to pay for one official report rather than sending paid reports to every school on your list. If you applied to ten schools, that’s a potential savings of over $100.
One important detail: colleges generally won’t accept printouts, screenshots, or school transcripts that include your SAT scores. The official report must come electronically from College Board.
When to Skip Self-Reporting
If you’re applying to a test-optional school and your scores don’t strengthen your application, you can leave the testing section blank. There’s no obligation to report scores that fall below a school’s middle 50% range. Look up each school’s admitted-student score profile, usually published on their admissions data page, to gauge whether your scores help or hurt.
If you do choose to self-report, report honestly and completely for each test date you include. Selectively omitting a section score from a particular sitting, or rounding up, will only cause trouble when official verification happens down the line.