How to transfer ACT and SAT scores to colleges?

I'm getting my college applications ready and need to send my ACT and SAT scores to several schools. What are the steps for sending these official scores, and how long does it typically take?

To send your ACT and SAT scores to colleges, you need to request this through the official websites of the ACT and College Board, which organizes the SAT. Here's how to do it for each test:

For the ACT:

1. Log into your ACT account.

2. Once logged in, click on 'Send Your Scores'.

3. You can then select the colleges or universities that you want to send your scores to.

4. There will be a charge per recipient for this service, unless you are utilizing your four free score sends that are available until 5 days after your test date.

For the SAT:

1. Log into your College Board account.

2. In your account, click on 'My SATs' or 'My Test Scores'.

3. Next, you'll see an option to 'Send Available Scores Now'. Click on that.

4. You then get to choose which schools to send your scores to.

5. Note that you get to send scores for free to four schools if you choose them within 9 days of your test. After that, there will be a fee per school.

As for the timeline, typically it takes about a week to two weeks for your scores to be received by the colleges, but it depends on the processing times of each individual institution. To be safe, aim to send your scores at least a few weeks before your application deadlines. This way, even if there are delays, your scores will arrive in time.

Remember, you should check each college's testing policy as some colleges are test-optional or even test-blind for the 2024-2025 application cycle. Furthermore, many colleges allow you to self-report test scores on your application, and you won’t need to send in official score reports until you commit to attend.