Do I Need to Pay to Send My SAT and AP Scores to Colleges?

As someone who offers SAT tutoring services, I just received this great question from a parent.

I have been paying $15 for each score report sent to colleges. My friend told me that it was unnecessary because the scores have been reported on the Common App. Is this true?

I’ll address this parent’s question below, but it got me thinking on the value of SAT tutoring services. You can pay for a great SAT tutor, but if they don’t know the best or right way to use those scores, you might be paying too much. After all, we don’t take the SAT just to take the SAT. We take it as a stepping stone to college and scholarships to pay for college. SAT tutoring services worth their salt should include answers to questions like these, as well as advice on topics you might not have even considered.

SAT Tutoring Services Should Know About Score Reporting

Here’s my answer to the inquiring mom from above:

Great question — and I apologize in advance for the somewhat annoying answer: it depends.

Each college has its own score reporting policy, so you need to check with them.  Every “report" on the Common App in unofficial because the applicant just writes what they scored — there’s no verification from College Board.  So, you can see why many colleges want official reports either now or later.

There are 3 options that colleges offer, with three different responses needed from you.

1. Self report on the Common App while applying / You do nothing more than that.

2. Self report on the Common App while applying + supply official reports when accepted / Wait until you hear back from them in March & send them then.

3. Self report on the Common App during applying + then supply official reports as soon as you can / These are the only ones you need to pay for & send during or immediately after applying.

In this instance, I hope this parent felt like the SAT tutoring services she paid for back in October were worth it!

Image by Alex Shute on Unsplash

SAT Tutoring Services Should Advise You on Their Use in Merit Aid and Outside Scholarships

As Dave Peterson (aka Dave the Scholarship Coach) explained here — and as we discussed together here —outside scholarships can yield scholarships so big that college could cost you in the three or four figures rather than the usual six. About one-quarter of these scholarships require an ACT or SAT score, however. Likewise for merit aid from many colleges, as I discussed here with financial planner Will Hoffman. So what’s good for college admissions (high scores) is also good for getting free money to pay for those colleges!

SAT Tutoring Services Should Offer More Than Algebra, Geometry, and Grammar Review

In short, the best SAT tutoring services teach not just to the test itself, but on how to leverage the test for admissions and scholarships. If you feel like the SAT tutoring service you’ve hired isn’t doing that, then feel free to drop me a line or sign up for a half-hour complimentary consultation with Dr. P. (Student and parent should both be present at the consultation.) I’ll make sure to prepare your child academically and psychologically for the SAT — and to prepare you both logistically on using the scores once they arrive.

About the Author

Dominique Padurano, M.S., Ed., Ph.D. – aka “Dr. P.” – loves helping students across the globe fulfill their academic and personal goals.  President and Founder of Crimson Coaching, Dr. P. herself personally tutorsstudents in English, French, History, Math, Spanish, and study, time management, and organizational skills; prepares them for the SAT, ACT, GRE, ISEE, AP, and other exams as a test prep coach; and shepherds them through the college application process as a private admissions counselor and essay coach.  Dr. P.’s students have earned admission to Harvard (her own alma mater), Princeton, Stanford, and other top universities, as well as scholarships – including full rides – totaling more than $2 million.  Formerly an adjunct professor of U.S. History at the City University of New York, Dr. P. now teaches Historical Studies online for the State University of New York – Empire State.  Read more about Dr. P.’s work at www.crimsoncoaching.com and on Google, straight from the hearts and minds of Crimson Coaching’s parents and students.