Most college-bound students will take the ACT and/or SAT more than once. So you’re probably wondering which scores you should send to the universities on your list in order to put your best foot forward.
The answer is it depends on the universities and their test score policies. At the University of Miami, we have no preference between which test you take; we accept scores that work best for you.
What is a superscore?
We’ll ask you to list the score and test date of your best individual test scores—such as your best Math, and best Reading scores—and then calculate a super composite or “superscore” based on these scores. The superscore will reflect your best results from each section of the test. Some colleges superscore across all your test dates, while others superscore across the test dates you choose to submit. So for example, you may take the test three times, but only submit two of those scores.
Which colleges superscore?
Most colleges, but not all, consider your SAT and/or ACT superscores. Check out the list of colleges that superscore the ACT. As for the SAT, The College Board publishes a handy chart with the score policies of participating schools, but it’s always best to check with each individual college directly.
Your SAT score strategy
If you take the SAT, you’ll have the option—through the College Board’s reporting tool Score Choice™—to decide by test date which scores will appear on the score report that gets sent to colleges. You may choose, for example, to eliminate your lowest test score from the report for the schools that don’t require you to send all test scores.
Your ACT score strategy
If you take the ACT, a record is created every time you take the test and you can tell ACT which test records get released to the schools. ACT will only send the test dates you request. Choose which and how many dates to send based on your scores and the school’s guidelines about superscoring. If a college requests all your ACT scores, it’s up to you to ensure that all records are released to that school.
How do I submit my superscore to UM?
Students who choose to submit an ACT and/or SAT score may - request that official scores be sent to the University of Miami directly from the testing agency, or - self-report their scores on the Common Application. You will not need to superscore your own results or recalculate your scores. Simply enter your scores exactly as you receive them. Students self-reporting scores will be required to submit official score reports only if they are admitted and choose to enroll.
If you choose to submit test scores, be sure to complete all testing by the following dates:
- November 1 if applying Early Decision I or Early Action
- January 6 if applying Early Decision II or Regular Decision
Charles Cammack is the Director of Recruitment for Undergraduate Admission at the University of Miami.
Article updated: September 1, 2024