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You’ve taken the SAT/ACT and are ready to send your scores to colleges. But did you know that not all colleges require official score reports? That's right— many colleges are now letting applicants self-report their scores directly on their applications (and only requiring an official score report if they choose to enroll).

But what does self-reporting test scores mean? We answer this critical question here and also give you a list of popular colleges that allow self-reporting. Additionally, we'll go over how to self-report scores using the Common Application and Coalition Application.

What Does Self-Reporting Test Scores Mean?

What is self-reporting test scores? Simply put, it's the act of reporting any scores you earned on specific tests directly on your college application without having to send in official score reports from testing agencies or your school.

In other words, you do not need to go through the process of having to pay for and submit official score reports to your colleges; you can just manually type in the scores you got on your tests on your application. The college will then use these unofficial test scores to help make an admissions decision.

Self-reporting can be done for the following tests, among others:

• SAT Subject Tests

You can self-report your scores on the Common Application and Coalition Application (we’ll go over how to do this later). Other colleges might ask you to self-report scores via their application system or by taking a screenshot of your online score report and sending that in with your application.

Now, not all colleges allow applicants to self-report scores . Instead, they will accept only official score reports with your application —no unofficial test scores.

Sending official score reports to colleges isn't free. Ordering score reports costs $12 per test date and school for the SAT and $13 per test date and school for the ACT (this is after use your four free SAT / ACT score reports ).

Fortunately, nowadays more and more colleges are starting to allow applicants to self-report their test scores on their applications, and only require official score reports once the student has been accepted and agreed to enroll. This saves the student money because they won’t need to pay for lots of official score reports and can instead have their self-reported scores used for evaluation.

It also means that you won’t need to worry about the time it’ll take for your official score reports to get to your schools —now you can rest assured that your schools will have access to your scores as soon as you submit your applications, as that’s where you filled them in.

You can see, too, that with self-reporting, there's no way to cheat or inflate your scores because you’ll eventually have to send in official score reports. And if the scores on those differ even slightly from the scores you self-reported earlier, your application will most likely be disqualified.

What's more, many schools often prefer self-reported scores (if they allow them, that is) as they allow admissions officers to have an applicant’s main information all in one easily accessible place.

Popular Colleges That Allow Self-Reporting

As mentioned above, most colleges still require official score reports during the application phase and will not accept self-reported test scores.

Nevertheless, many schools are changing their policies on reporting scores so that students can freely self-report their test scores without having to worry about paying for score reports until after they’ve agreed to enroll.

According to Compass Education Group, more than 150 colleges currently accept self-reported SAT/ACT scores .

Here are some of the most popular colleges that allow self-reporting of SAT/ACT scores:

• Amherst College
• Baylor University
• Binghamton University (SUNY)
• Bowdoin College
• Brown University
• Colby College
• College of William & Mary
• Columbia University
• Duke University
• Emory University
• Franklin & Marshall College
• Georgia Tech
• Harvard College
• Harvey Mudd College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Middlebury College
• Northeastern University
• Northwestern University
• Pomona College
• Providence College
• Purdue University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rice University
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• Santa Clara University
• Scripps College
• Stanford University
• Texas Christian University
• Tufts University
• Tulane University
• University of Chicago
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Virginia
• Villanova University
• Virginia Tech
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wellesley College
• Williams College
• Yale University

How to Self-Report Test Scores: 2 Methods

There are many different ways you can self-report scores on your college applications. The way you’ll do it will depend on what your specific colleges accept. For example, some colleges accept self-reporting through the Common Application or Coalition Application, while others require a screenshot of your unofficial score report.

In this section, we go over how to self-report scores using the Common App and Coalition App.

Method 1: Self-Reporting Through the Common App

Start by logging into your Common Application account . Next, click the "Common App" tab at the top; this will bring you to a page with links to your profile, family, education, etc. in a column on the left. Click the link in this column that reads "Testing" to get to the following page:

On this page, you can self-report scores for the SAT, the ACT, SAT Subject Tests, AP exams, IB tests, the TOEFL, the IELTS, and/or the PTE Academic. To do so, simply click "Yes" when asked if you’d like to self-report any scores . Doing this will make a new section pop up where you can select the tests you’ll be reporting scores from. You may select multiple tests.

Once you’ve chosen a test, a tab at the bottom of the page will appear. Click this to begin manually inputting your scores from that exam, along with information on how many times you plan to take the test in the future (if applicable).

Method 2: Self-Reporting Through the Coalition App

First, log in to your MyCoalition account . Click the link that reads "Profile" at the top of the page. From there, you’ll be taken to your profile page, which will have a bunch of links on the left.

If you’re self-reporting SAT or ACT scores, click "SAT/ACT." If you’re self-reporting scores from any other exams, click "Additional Tests."

Here’s what the SAT/ACT page looks like:

You’ll be asked whether you want to self-report scores for the SAT and/or ACT. Click "Yes" for the test for which you’d like to submit scores. Doing this will bring up additional information below the question, where you can fill out your scores and test date(s).

If you’d like to self-report other test scores (e.g., for AP tests), here’s what that page looks like:

Again, click "Yes" to any tests you’d like to self-report scores for , and then fill out your scores and test dates (this information will pop up once you click "Yes").

Recap: What Does Self-Reporting Test Scores Mean for You?

So what is self-reporting test scores? Simply put, it’s the act of manually inputting your scores into your college application through the school's application system, the Common Application, or the Coalition Application. It can also be sending in screenshots showing your unofficial scores.

Tests can include the SAT/ACT, SAT Subject Tests, AP exams, IB tests, and English-proficiency tests.

These unofficial scores are used for admissions purposes only. If you get accepted and decide to enroll, you’ll need to submit your official score report. Any discrepancy between your official score report and self-reported scores will result in your disqualification (so, no, you can’t cheat by putting down a higher score than what you actually got!).

These days, there are many colleges that allow self-reporting. This is because more and more colleges want to ensure that applicants aren’t burdened by the costs associated with ordering official score reports. Many popular and even many highly selective colleges , such as Harvard and Stanford, allow applicants to self-report their SAT/ACT scores on their applications.

The process of self-reporting test scores is pretty simple if you’re applying through the Common App or Coalition App. All you really need to do is look for the testing section on the application and then click "Yes" if you wish to report scores from any tests. Just be sure to check ahead of time that your school(s) accept self-reported SAT/ACT scores and don't require official reports.

What’s Next?

If you need to send official score reports to your colleges , check out our comprehensive guides to what to know about sending SAT scores and sending ACT scores .

If you've just taken the SAT or ACT, you're probably dying to know when you can expect to get your scores. Read our guides to learn exactly how long you'll have to wait for your SAT scores and ACT scores for various test dates.

Part of submitting a stellar college application is getting impressive test scores. Our resident perfect scorer gives you his best tips in his guides to getting a 1600 SAT score and 36 ACT score .

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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Can I Respond "No" to "Have you taken the SAT Essay before?"

If none of the colleges I’ll apply to through common app require me to send ALL scores, can I omit answering yes on the SAT essay question? I’d use Coalition for the ones who do require me to send all scores, because if I put no and then they see the score I’d be scared to be disqualified for lying or something. My score was truly awful (10/24, I did well on most of the test but I’m a terribly slow writer so I managed to write 2 paragraphs and a half, the intro, conclussion and the start of a body paragraph) and I really don’t want to ruin my chances as a non native english speaker.

Can you? Yes; you have free will

Would you be lying by saying “No”? Yes

Would you be violating the Common App, where you certify that the information is your own work, factually true and honestly presented.? Yes.

Do colleges that don’t require the essay care what your essay score is? No.

Suck it up and do the right thing.

If the college does not require all scores, then you can certainly not send the scores from a particular date. But for the application itself, your options are to answer the questions honestly, or omit answering, where allowed.

I will say that our son sent one score on all of his apps. It was the test he took in Aug before his junior year. After he received this score, he had to still take the SAT in April of junior year for the state we live in. It’s mandaory for graduation and students cannot use a different test date (so dumb). Anyway, he did fine on April test but was 30 points lower than the Aug test and didn’t need to use that April score. That test did include the essay where his Aug test did not. None of his schools needed the essay. He didn’t think about it so much I guess when he checked no on the question about “did he take the essay section”. He’s not using that test. Didn’t want to take that test and didn’t need the score. He already got his high score months before. I saw that he checked no and didn’t think it was an issue either. To him it just meant that he didn’t take the essay on the one and only test he planned to send. He got a 20 on the essay so he want trying to hide anything. It was an honest oversight since his schools don’t want it and we didn’t even send any part of that test where he wrote the essay.

I’m not really worried about it. He wasn’t trying to hide anything. He just sort of read the question wrong. He didn’t take the essay on the one and only test he sent.

If the question is “have you taken the SAT essay” it seems like the answer would be yes. If they were interested in only the test you were sending they could easily look up the scores to see if an essay’s attached.

honesty is the best policy

“honesty is the best policy”

Exactly. NEVER lie on a university application.

If they catch you, then your application will be rejected even if you were otherwise going to be an easy admit. US universities and the college board are well connected to each other. You should assume that they will catch you if you lie.

However, I think that schools will understand poor scores on the SAT essay for students who are not native English speakers.

The problem is that the question is poorly-worded by the Common App. The question immediately preceding “Have you taken the SAT essay?” is “Number of past SAT scores you wish to report,” an optional exercise. If you answer yes to having taken the SAT essay, you are then required to report the “highest combined essay score.” It wouldn’t make sense to require reporting of the essay score even if it is not among the test sittings for the “past SAT scores you wish to report.” My guess is that the question should have been worded something along the lines of, “Did your past SAT sittings that you wish to report include the SAT essay.”

Weirdly, even if you put that you wish to report a large number of past SAT scores, Common App still only provides boxes for the highest of each section score.

They sound like different questions with different intents. How many tests do you want to report could be one. But if you took one with an essay score they want to know what that was.

For most colleges out there, the essay score is barely considered, if at all. For a few majors, they can glance over and see a terribly low essay score, but this is so outweighed by the other scores.

The bigger issue is, are you truly qualified for these colleges, you have the grades, whatever level of rigor and ECs they expect? You wrote a good app and supps?

So, the first question is what colleges- or what tier? And how qualified.

Are you seriously asking whether you can lie? Do you expect any of the adults on this site to give you our blessing?

Is “They’ll never know” the guiding principle of your life?

And, in this computer age, why on earth would you assume that “they’ll never know”?? You’ve got to realize that you’re not the first teenager they’ve ever dealt with before.

Could be. But if a person responds that they wish to report 0 past SAT scores (or doesn’t select SAT as a category of scores to report), then Common App does not ask whether the person took the SAT with essay - there is no pop-up, basically.

In my opinion, the Common App requirement to report an essay score from a sitting you didn’t wish to report at all is nonsensical given the optional nature of the essay section, not to mention the optional nature of score reporting in the Common App in general (i.e. choice in score reporting within the app).

@Bella31 You can also not report any SAT scores at all in the Common App - you’d never see the pop-up question about whether you’ve taken SAT with essay - and then simply use College Board’s Score Choice to only send an official score report from College Board for the sitting you took without essay. There is nothing unethical about that approach.

That’s dishonest, whether or not he feels like it is, and how someone could misread the question “did you take the essay section” is beyond me. In fact, honestly misunderstanding that question would be a sign of a profound weakness in reading or perhaps even an intellectual disability, but I’m sure he didn’t misunderstand and instead just decided to answer it untruthfully. I’m disappointed to hear from a parent who condones such lying.

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Can You Self Report SAT Scores On Common App?

The common app is a centralized application that allows students to submit their transcripts, test scores, and other relevant information in one place. This makes it easier for schools to compare applicants and make admissions decisions more quickly and efficiently. Let us know Can You Self Report SAT Scores On Common App?

Yes, you can self-report your SAT scores on the Common App. This can be done by going to the Profile Section. You will need to enter your official College Board score reports as well as any other supplemental material you may have submitted.

Common Mistakes When Reporting SAT Scores

It can be difficult to overcome the anxiety that accompanies taking the SAT, and as a result, many students make mistakes when reporting their scores. The most common mistake is not submitting your score report on time. This can lead to the cancellation of admissions offers or even expulsion from the college.

Another mistake is providing inaccurate information about your test scores. Inaccurate reports could result in lower grades or worse career prospects due to lowered rankings in talent searches. Additionally, if you misrepresent yourself in any way while applying for colleges, this may also be noticed and cause problems down the road.

Stick to factual information when reporting your scores and avoid personal comments that could reflect poorly on you or undermine others’ chances of getting accepted into colleges with selective admission policies.

Finally, don’t think that because you aren’t getting accepted into every school your SAT score isn’t good enough – just because one school doesn’t want you doesn’t mean all other schools won’t find value in your abilities.

Schools Using The Common App For Selecting Students For Admission

There is no question that schools are starting to use the common app more and more for recruiting students.

The Common App has a more streamlined and efficient way of processing applications and admissions than the traditional process. It also allows for more transparent communication between schools and applicants, which can help build a better relationship between them.

One of the main reasons is because the common App allows you to search by specific criteria, such as GPA or test scores. This makes it easier for administrators to find students who meet their needs and narrow down their selection process.

Additionally, online applications make it possible for candidates to submit transcripts without ever having seen them in person. This eliminates any prejudices that might be attached based on looks or behavior-related factors. 

Finally, social media platforms can also be used extensively during recruitment campaigns so that potential applicants know all about what college feels like before they even apply!

Benefits And Drawbacks  Of Using An External Service To Report SAT Scores

There are a lot of benefits and disadvantages to using an external service to report your SAT scores. On the plus side, this can save you time and hassle since the reports will be done for you automatically. This also increases accuracy since there will be no errors or mistakes in the report. Additionally, if you’re worried about getting a good score on your own, then reporting through an external service can give you peace of mind.

The disadvantage is that it may cost more than if you took care of the reporting yourself. Additionally, some people feel like their privacy is compromised since admissions officers have access to their test score data without consent or notification from them.

It may also be less reliable than submitting your test directly to colleges. Depending on the company or person administering the test they may be inclined to provide better results than what’s reflected in your official transcript/SAT stats.

Common Apps And Benefits 

A common app is an application that you can use on your phone to share content, find friends, and more. They are a great way to socialize and build relationships with other people who have the same interests as you. Some of the most popular common apps include Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, WhatsApp (formerly known as Omg), Twitter @followers/mentions (for public figures or companies), and YouTube.

• A common app can help businesses to better monitor and manage their customers.
• It can also improve customer engagement by allowing businesses to track what the customers are talking about and sharing on social media.
• Moreover, it allows for quick reply features so that businesses can respond quickly to any questions or complaints

In this article, we aim to answer a question that has been on many students’ minds – can you self-report your sat scores on a common application? Before you can submit your scores, you need to make sure that the application you are using is compliant with the requirement. Otherwise, you might end up submitting incorrect or false information which could have negative consequences.

• Is it possible to self-report SAT scores?

Yes, you can easily self-report your SAT and ACT scores. Official scores must be submitted prior to enrollment.

• Is it necessary to report SAT Essay scores on the Common Application?

Regardless of Self Reporting, you must report the official scores. It is required for entrance.

• Is it possible to send SAT scores after completing the Common App?

After submitting the Common App, you can check your SAT scores. This is accomplished using ACT and SAT School Codes.

• Is it better to send official SAT scores or a self-report?

To be considered with your application, your SAT scores must be supplied through official testing providers.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, sat scores - common app confusion.

I've got my SAT scores, and I know some colleges want them sent directly, but how do I submit SAT scores on Common App? Is self-reporting just inputting the score, or is there more to it? Let me know, please!

SAT scores are indeed an important piece of your college application, and it's great that you're taking the initiative to get them submitted correctly! Self-reporting your SAT scores on the Common App simply involves inputting your highest score from each section and your highest combined score into the Testing section of the application. If you've taken the SAT more than once, you have the option to report all your scores, but it’s not required by all colleges. Make sure to check each college's testing policy on their admissions website for specifics – some might want all your scores, while others might just want your best ones.

Additionally, some colleges do require you to eventually send official score reports directly from the College Board if you're admitted and decide to enroll. This is to verify the scores you self-reported. Remember to double-check the application requirements for each school you're applying to so you don't miss any steps. Good luck with your application process!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

How do I submit SAT scores?

Aug 12, 2022 • knowledge, information.

Contact  College Board College Board to have your SAT scores sent to CMU.  Our school code is 1106.

What if I don't want to report my ACT or SAT writing scores?

Jul 25, 2023 • knowledge, information.

Use your My Colleges tab to double check the standardized test policy for each of your colleges. If your colleges do not require 'ACT with Essay' or 'SAT with Essay', you do not need to report your writing scores.

If you don't want to report your ACT or SAT writing scores when they are optional, please use the following steps. In the Testing section of your Common App tab, answer 'No' to the following questions:

• Have you taken the ACT plus Writing test?
• Have you taken the SAT essay?

This will ensure that you do not have to enter SAT or ACT writing scores.

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Common App announces 2024–2025 Common App essay prompts

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We are happy to announce that the Common App essay prompts will remain the same for 2024–2025.

Our decision to keep these prompts unchanged is supported by past research showing that overall satisfaction with the prompts exceeded 95% across our constituent groups - students, counselors, advisors, teachers, and member colleges. Moving forward, we want to learn more about who is choosing certain prompts to see if there are any noteworthy differences among student populations and incorporate feedback into future decisions.

While some schools are beginning discussions with juniors and transfer students about college options, it's important to clarify that this doesn't mean students need to start writing their essays right away. By releasing the prompts early, we hope to give students ample time for reflection and brainstorming. As you guide students with their planning, feel free to use our Common App Ready essay writing resource, available in both English and Spanish .

For students who wish to start exploring the application process, creating a Common App account before August 1 ensures that all their responses, including their personal essays, will be retained through account rollover .

Below is the full set of essay prompts for 2024–2025.

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

We will retain the optional community disruption question within the Writing section. Over the next year, we'll consult with our member, counselor, and student advisory committees to ensure we gather diverse perspectives and make informed decisions.

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