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Who Takes the SAT and ACT SuperScores?

Mastering Your Test Scores: Understanding Superscoring and Score Choice

When applying to college, you want to present the strongest possible version of your academic profile. Standardized testing can be stressful, but two key policies—Superscoring and Score Choice—are designed to work in your favor by highlighting your best performances across multiple test dates.

The table below provides a comprehensive look at the current policies for popular institutions, helping you strategize which scores to send and when to consider a retake.

Key Terms to Know

  • Superscoring: This is a student-friendly practice where colleges take your highest section scores from different test sittings to create a new, higher total score. For example, if your Math score was higher in March but your Reading score peaked in June, the college will combine those top marks.

  • Score Choice: This policy, offered by the College Board and ACT, allows you to choose which specific test dates you send to colleges. However, individual colleges have the final say on whether they allow this or require you to submit every score on your record.

  • Require All Scores: Some selective institutions explicitly ask to see your entire testing history to view your progress over time.

  • Recommend All Scores: These schools suggest sending everything so their admissions team can ensure they are giving you the highest possible superscore.

Using the Database

  • Testing policies are currently in a state of flux, with many schools maintaining temporary "Test Optional" status for the 2025–2026 cycle. While we keep this list updated, always verify specific requirements on the official admissions website of your target schools before submitting your application.

  • To find your school, use Command/Cntrl+F in your browser.

School
Superscore SAT
Superscore ACT
Score Choice
Bridgewater College
No
Yes
Brigham Young University—Provo
No
No
Score choice OK
Brown University
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
Bryant University
No
Yes
Bryn Mawr College
Yes
No
Score choice OK
Bucknell University
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
Butler University
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
CUNY—Baruch College
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
California Institute of Technology
Yes
Yes*
Score choice OK
California Lutheran University
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
California Polytechnic State University
Yes*
Yes
Campbell University
No
Yes
Carleton College
Yes
No
Requires All Scores
Carnegie Mellon University
Yes
No
Score choice OK
Carroll College
No
No
Score choice OK
Carson-Newman University
Yes
Yes
Case Western Reserve University
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
Cedar Crest College
Yes
Yes
Cedarville University
Yes
Yes
Central Connecticut State University
No
Yes
Centre College
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
Chaminade University of Honolulu
No
Yes
Chapman University
Yes
No
Score choice OK
Christendom College
Yes
Yes
Christopher Newport University
Yes
No
Score choice OK
City College of New York (CUNY)
Yes*
Yes
Claremont McKenna College
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
Clark University
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
Clarkson University
No
No
Score choice OK
Clemson University
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
Coastal Carolina University
No
Yes
Coe College
No
No
Score choice OK
Colby College
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
Colgate University
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
College of Charleston
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
College of New Jersey
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
College of St. Benedict
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
College of William and Mary
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
College of Wooster
Yes
Yes
Score choice OK
College of the Atlantic
No
Yes

* Not Quite A Superscore

Not every college follows a black-and-white approach to score evaluation. Some institutions utilize a "hybrid" or "weak" superscoring model that sits between a strict highest-sitting policy and a traditional superscore. These schools say they review your highest sub-scores across your applications but they do not mathematically combine them from different test dates to generate a new, official composite score. In reality, this is usually not a big deal.

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