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If you’re getting ready to apply to colleges, you’ve probably got standardized tests on the brain. Between all the pressure to perform well and to get those score reports where they need to go, you may not realize that there’s another factor to consider. Not every college weighs standardized test scores the same way. Some are test optional, some require tests, and some use a practice called superscoring to weigh your scores.
To learn more about superscoring and what it means for you, don’t miss this post.
Superscoring is simply a practice used by some colleges in evaluating and weighing standardized test scores. It is most commonly used on SAT scores, though it’s not completely unheard of to apply the practice to ACT scores as well. When you apply to colleges, you should be aware of their superscoring policy in order to understand how your scores will be evaluated.
When a college uses superscoring, it considers your strongest section scores on the SAT from across multiple test administrations. For example, if you scored a 630 Verbal and 740 Math on your first SAT, and then scored a 690 Verbal and 710 Math on the second administration, a college that uses superscoring would consider your scores as 690 Verbal and 740 Math for a composite score of 1430. This could make a big difference for some students, especially when applying to selective colleges.
When you send your standardized test scores to colleges, you need to understand how they are being used to evaluate your strengths as an applicant. To fully grasp how your scores will be used, you should know if your test scores will be considered individually or if superscoring will be used.
This can make a difference when you are deciding which score reports to submit, or how many score reports to submit. When superscoring is used, you may be tempted to submit more score reports than you usually would.