What Is SAT/ACT Superscore?

In this article, we’ll learn about SAT/ACT Superscore. Let’s begin.

Superscoring is a process through which colleges consider or examine a student’s highest section scores covering all the dates that a student took the SATs. Therefore, instead of considering the scores of one particular date, these schools and colleges will only look at the highest section scores and create the highest possible composite score.

List of Popular Colleges That Superscore the SAT

The following colleges super score the SAT. You should go through their admission policies and read through the SAT scoring guidelines. Remember to send in the scores of all your SATs for superscoring.

School	Official Statements	Admissions Site
Boston College	If you have taken the SAT more than once, Boston College will take the highest individual section scores from each date and combine those scores.	BC Admissions
Boston University	Boston University will allow students to choose [the College Board’s Score Choice]; however, we strongly recommend students submit their scores each time they take the SAT.	BU Admissions
Columbia	If you take an exam more than once, you will be evaluated on the highest score you received in any individual section.	Columbia Admissions
Duke	Students who have taken multiple tests may choose which scores to send to Duke. For students who elect to send multiple test scores, Duke will use whichever score is the highest.	Duke Admissions
Georgetown	Georgetown University does not participate in the Score Choice option available through the College Board. Georgetown requires that you submit scores from all test sittings of the SAT.	Georgetown Admissions
Georgia Institute of Technology	Georgia Tech supers score within the same test, using your highest section scores from any test date. We will update your record with your highest scores each time you submit new scores.	Georgia Tech Admissions
Harvard	You are free to use the College Board Score Choice option.	Harvard Admissions
Johns Hopkins	We’ll consider your highest section scores across all SATs taken—even if they were on different test dates—in our evaluation of your application. We, therefore, encourage you to update your application with new test scores each time you take the SAT.	Hopkins Admissions
MIT	If you take [the SAT] multiple times, we will consider the highest score achieved in each section. This superscoring also applies to students who submit scores from both the “old” and “new” SAT.	MIT Admissions
New York University	For both the SAT and ACT we will review the highest of each section, regardless of test dates. This practice is commonly known as the “superscore.”	NYU Admissions
Notre Dame	If you submit multiple scores, we will superscore the tests for our evaluation. This means we will consider the highest composite score and highest scores on each section, regardless of the test date.	Notre Dame Admissions
Princeton	We allow applicants to use the score choice feature of … the SAT … but we encourage the submission of all test scores.	Princeton Admissions
Stanford	All scores from all high school sittings of either the ACT or SAT (or both if you took both) are required.	Stanford Admissions
University of Chicago	UChicago is a test-optional school. Students who choose to submit SAT or ACT scores may share either official or self-reported scores.	U Chicago Admissions
University of Connecticut	We will combine the highest scores from each subsection of an exam to create the best overall score (within the same exam formats) for exams taken more than once.	U Conn Admissions
University of Miami	If you take the test more than once, please ensure that the testing agency sends all of your scores so that we have your best performance on record.	U Miami Admissions
University of North Carolina	If you send us scores from multiple test dates, we’ll take your highest score for each section of the test and consider those scores as we evaluate your application. If you send us both an SAT and an ACT, we’ll look at whichever is higher.	UNC Admissions
University of Pennsylvania	We superscore the ACT and we superscore within old and current SATs but not between old and current SATs.	UPenn Admissions
University of Southern California	For students who take the SAT more than once, USC records the highest scores for each section.	USC Admissions
University of Virginia	It has been the Office of Admission’s long-standing policy to consider the best test scores submitted by applicants. When reviewing SAT scores, we use the top score from each section across all administrations of the exam.	UVA Admissions
Vanderbilt	Vanderbilt strongly encourages students to submit scores each time they take the SAT. Vanderbilt will super-score among Old SATs and New SAT tests, but will not superscore between the old SAT and the New SAT.	Vanderbilt Admissions
Villanova	Candidates are asked to submit their scores from each sitting of the SAT … understanding that the Admission Committee will superscore the highest Evidence-based Reading and Writing scores and Math scores from the SAT.	Villanova Admissions
Virginia Tech	At Virginia Tech, we superscore across test dates AND exams—meaning we’ll look at your highest Math and English subscores and even combine scores from the SAT and ACT.	Virginia Tech Admissions
Yale	When assessing SAT results, admissions officers will focus on your highest individual old or new scores from all test dates.	Yale Admissions

Important Points To Keep In Mind Before Applying to Schools That Superscore

Although you may think that applying to a school that super scores might be easier than one that isn’t, remember that many of these schools are competitive and will require more than just a strong test score to get in. Follow these tips for applying to colleges that superscore-

• Go through the average SAT score reports from the previous years. This will give you an idea of the score you should get for your SAT.
• Review the application requirements carefully. Some colleges require students to submit letters of recommendation, a combination of essays, and other relevant documents and details. Make sure you prepare for these in advance and take their requirements seriously.
• Take the SAT in the junior year- taking the SAT in the senior year can be stressful. However, you can reduce the burden by taking the SAT in the junior year twice. Taking this test early on will give you an idea of how much you need to score and practice.

What is ACT Superscoring?

Superscoring is the process of taking out the average of the best subject scores from all the ACT test attempts. The ACT includes five subsections, which are as follows-

• English
• Maths
• Science
• Writing
• Reading

Writing is graded on a scale of 2 to 12, while the other subsections are graded on a scale of 1 to 36. A composite score in the ACT is the average of these scores minus the writing scores. According to the previous ACT score rules, candidates were allowed to use only their single set of scores from the same exam sitting. In simple words, they could only use the highest composite score from the same ACT test date.

This rule changed with the introduction of the new ACT superscoring policy. According to the new superscore policy, a student’s ACT reports will consider the highest subscores from different test dates to calculate the super scores. Therefore, the score that colleges will consider will include a student’s best scores from each section.

How to Calculate Your ACT Superscore?

Calculating your ACT super scores is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is add your highest subscores and divide the number by 4. If the total that you get is a non-integer, round it to the nearest figure. For instance, if the total is 30.7, round it to 31. If the total is 29.25, round it to 29.

Who is eligible for an ACT superscore?

All those students who have taken the ACT more than once from September 2016 to this year are eligible for ACT superscoring.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the writing section score also a part of the superscore?

A. No, the writing section score is not counted into an ACT superscore and is not a part of the superscore.

2. Is superscoring a fair method to judge a student’s abilities?

A. Yes, superscoring is a fair method to judge a student’s abilities. Moreover, superscoring doesn’t differentiate between genders, ethnicity, race, financial levels, or family backgrounds. Research shows how superscoring does not put any student group at a disadvantage, and no change in performance or scores is brought about when using superscoring for SATs and ACTs.

3. Why are most colleges using the super score method?

A. Superscoring the ACTs, is a student-friendly method for testing students’ abilities. Besides, it is a holistic approach to admissions, which is why many colleges are fast adopting it.

4. Why is superscoring important, and how is it beneficial to the students?

Score choice is a testing agency policy put into effect by the College Board and the ACT. Superscoring, on the other hand, is a college admissions policy. Superscoring is important as it helps students put their best foot forward at the time of college admissions.

Colleges that superscore will only consider a student’s highest section scores from all the test dates. Remember that this is valid only if the college follows the superscoring policy for their admissions. You must send your full scorecard for each test that you took since most colleges require students to do so.

5. Why is superscoring beneficial?

A. Superscoring combines a student’s best scores and performances into a single score. This helps students reflect on their best abilities and improve their ACT scores.