Cheyenne Vowell August 9, 2024 6 11th Grade,12th Grade,SAT Info and Tips

When Are SAT Scores Released? Complete 2024 Dates

What’s Covered:

• SAT Score Release Dates
• Predicted  Score Release Dates
• How Do I Know If My SAT Score is Good Enough?
• How Does My SAT Score Impact My College Chances?

Wondering when your SAT scores come out? Waiting for your SAT scores can be agonizing, especially since SAT score release usually takes a couple of weeks after your test date.

In this post, we’ll go over when you can expect your scores, when colleges will receive your score reports, and how to use your score report to improve your SAT scores.

How Long Does It Take for SAT Scores to Come Back?

In general, SAT scores become available online about 13 days after you take the test. This includes the Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores, as well as your composite score. Keep in mind, however, that some summer test score reports can take up to five weeks to be released.

If you took the SAT before September 2024, your scores have been released. You can check them online via the College Board website.

Read on for a table of the exact upcoming release dates.

When Will Colleges Receive My Score Reports?

If you opted to use the four free score reports that are sent directly to colleges, they will be received by the colleges within 10 days of the date you receive your scores. This means that colleges will get your score report within 23 days of you taking the test.

If you are ordering score reports after receiving your scores, it usually takes 1-2 weeks for your scores to arrive and to be processed. Colleges have different policies on how often they download new score reports, so the date of receipt really depends on each college’s download frequency.

SAT Score Release Dates 2024

But what if you took the test in school on a weekday? Those dates are below:

What Time Are SAT Scores Released?

SAT scores usually come out in waves throughout the day, and some are released as early as 5 AM Eastern Time (2 AM Pacific Time). That said, don’t expect them that early, and don’t lose sleep over it. Sometimes scores aren’t released until the late or early afternoon.

According to the College Board, about half the students will be able to see their scores online by 8 AM ET, and the other half will usually see them by 8 PM ET. You should also receive an email when your scores are available for viewing.

Predicted Spring 2025 Score Release Dates

You’ll notice that most SAT score release dates follow a pattern:

• The multiple-choice scores come out 13 days after the test date.
• Colleges receive scores 10 days after you receive your scores.

Based on this pattern, here’s what we expect the score release dates to be for Fall 2023. They are tentative and are yet to be confirmed by the College Board.

How Do I Get My SAT Scores?

The quickest and easiest way to receive your SAT scores is through your online CollegeBoard account. Simply visit the College Board homepage and click on the blue box that prompts you to log in with your username and password. Then click on the “My SAT” link below your name. From there, you’ll be able to view all your available test scores, listed by test date.

Should I Send My SAT Scores to Test-Optional Schools?

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges have become test-optional. This is because many SAT administrations were canceled during 2020 and 2021, as it was deemed potentially unsafe for students to take the test in person.

For test-optional schools, if you have an SAT score at or above the 25th percentile for accepted students, you should submit it. For example, if you’re applying to Princeton (where the 25th percentile SAT score is 1460), you should only submit your score if you receive a 1460 or higher.

Going test-optional and wondering about your admissions chances? Our admissions calculator takes into consideration whether or not you’re applying to a test-optional school. Check your chances now!

How to Understand Your SAT Score

Composite Score

Scoring the test is fairly straightforward. Total composite SAT scores range from 400-1600 points, tallied from two sections—Math, and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing—with each section worth 200-800 points.

The College Board—the organization responsible for administering the SAT—redesigned the test in 2016 with the intention of an average composite score of 1000—squarely in the middle of the minimum score of 400 and the maximum score of 1600. With that knowledge, you can get an idea of how you stack up against other test-takers.

Percentiles

A more scientific way of understanding your SAT score is to use percentiles, which the College Board publishes yearly. Your score report will list two kinds of percentile ranks—Nationally Representative Sample Percentiles and SAT User Percentiles.

Nationally Representative Sample Percentiles, derived from a research study of U.S. students in 11th and 12th grades, compare your score to what’s typical of high school juniors and seniors. SAT User Percentiles compare your score to actual SAT test-takers.

The SAT User Percentile is more useful as a data point. Your SAT User Percentile tells you how you “ranked” compared to other test-takers. For example, if you scored in the 50th percentile, you scored at or above the scores of 50% of other SAT test-takers.

Subscores

The SAT also provides seven subscores ranging from 1-15, four from the Reading, and Writing and Language Sections (Command of Evidence, Words in Context, Expression of Ideas, and Standard English Conventions), and three from the Math test (Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving, and Data Analysis).

Subscores are color coded to make identifying strengths and weaknesses easy—green meaning “on track for college readiness,” yellow translating to “close to being on track for college readiness; continue to strengthen skills,” and red signaling a “need to strengthen skills.” Subscores are an excellent way for students to identify where to focus their energy if they’re planning on retaking the SAT!

How Do I Know If My SAT Score is Good Enough?

According to the College Board, the average SAT score in 2021 was 1088, with the average Math score at 538 and the average Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score at 541. These scores do little to tell you how your SAT score will affect your chances of getting into your dream school, however.

To put your SAT score in context, look at the average SAT scores for incoming freshmen at the schools you’re interested in, and see how you compare. The majority of colleges publish the middle 50% SAT scores of the students they have admitted. If you’re not sure what that means, the middle 50% is a range of scores between the 25th percentile and the 75th—which is a good demonstration of the type of score you’ll need to gain entry.

As an example of middle 50% scores, Princeton University had scores ranging from 1510-1580 for the class of 2028, with a Math score of 770-800 and an Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 740-780.

Keep in mind that these numbers reflect the average student—25% of students will have scored below the middle 50%, and 25% will have scored above it. That being said, scoring on the high end of the range, or above it, will help increase your chances of acceptance.

How Does My SAT Score Impact My College Chances?

Selective colleges use a metric called the Academic Index (AI) to represent the strength of applicants’ grades and test scores. If your AI is too low, a school may not even review the rest of your application. That’s why it’s so crucial to have a strong academic profile.

We’ve made it easy to understand the impact of your SAT score by creating a free Admissions Calculator. This calculator will let you know how your score stacks up against other applicants’ scores, and will give you tips on improving the rest of your profile, including your grades and extracurriculars.

You can also search for schools based on preferences like location, major, cost, and more. Give it a try to get a jump-start on your college admissions strategy!

What Should I Do If My SAT Score Is Too Low?

If you didn’t get the SAT score you were hoping for, don’t stress. Unless it’s December in your senior year, you probably have time to improve significantly before you apply to college. If you want to improve your score, review the SAT calendar and set your sights on a new test date. Then, go over your complete score report to get a better idea of which areas tripped you up the most. Focus on these areas to improve your score over the next few weeks.

If it is already your senior year, remember that you can always apply to test-optional schools. Circumstances such as the pandemic that may have led to disappointing scores are the reason that this option exists, especially during this year!

Keep in mind, however, that if your score is too low, it may mean that you aren’t academically ready for that college in particular (especially if your grades and your high school’s course rigor don’t meet those of the average accepted student). It’s also important to be realistic and apply to colleges that you have a good chance of being admitted to.

For more information about improving your SAT score, check out these CollegeVine’s many articles with SAT info and tips!