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Every application season, Ivy-Way advisors field a version of the same panicked message: “I already submitted my Common App, but the school says they never received my SAT score!”
This almost never happens because a student was careless. It happens because of a structural misunderstanding: scores typed into the Common App are “self-reported” — not the same as an official score report reaching the school. The Common App’s own documentation says so directly: the Testing section is self-entered. Official scores still have to be sent separately, straight from the testing agency (College Board, ACT, ETS, and so on).
Sending scores isn’t hard on its own. What makes it tricky is that each agency runs its own schedule, fee structure, and rules — none of them synced to your application deadline. Here’s the full process Taiwan-based applicants need for the 2026-27 cycle.
*(Compiled from official websites as of September 2026. Fees and dates change, so always confirm on the official site before you act.)*
Step 1: Find Out Whether the School Even Wants Your Scores
Before worrying about how to send scores, figure out whether you should send them at all. US colleges currently fall into four rough categories:
- Test Required: no scores means an incomplete application.
- Test Optional: sending is your choice, but if you send them, they get factored into your review.
- Test Flexible: AP, IB, or other exam results can substitute for SAT/ACT.
- Test Free / Test Blind: scores are not considered even if you send them — the University of California system is the best-known example.
Rule of thumb: if your score sits above the median of the school’s middle-50% range, sending it usually helps. If it’s noticeably below the 25th percentile at a Test Optional school, skip it. Make this call before you register for the test, since registration is also when you decide how to use your free score reports.
Sending SAT Scores: The Number That Matters Is “9 Days After Test Day”
College Board’s rule: every SAT registration comes with 4 free score reports, and you can choose or change the recipient schools at registration, before the test, or up to 9 days after your test date. Once those 9 days pass, the free reports are gone, and every additional school costs US$15.
A few more numbers worth knowing:
- Standard electronic delivery: about 5–10 business days from order to school receipt.
- Rush Report: US$31 (plus the per-report fee), delivered in 1–4 business days — but this only works for scores that have already been released, and once sent, it cannot be cancelled.
- Registration fee: US$68 in the US; international registration (including Taiwan) is US$68 + US$43 = US$111. Some Taiwan test centers charge an additional US$24 site fee — check the exact amount on the registration page. Late registration adds US$38.
Fall 2026 SAT Test Dates and Score Release Dates
| Test Date | Registration Deadline | Score Release |
|---|---|---|
| 9/12/2026 | 8/28/2026 | 9/25/2026 |
| 10/3/2026 | 9/18/2026 | 10/16/2026 |
| 11/7/2026 | 10/23/2026 | 11/20/2026 |
| 12/5/2026 | 11/20/2026 | 12/18/2026 |
This table is arguably the most important part of this whole post, because it directly shapes your score-sending strategy (see the timeline section below).
An Easy-to-Miss Detail: Score Choice and “Send All Scores”
The SAT lets you choose which test dates to send, but not mix and match within a date — you can’t send the Math score from Test A and the Reading and Writing score from Test B as one report. Some schools require every test record you have, while many others superscore, automatically pulling your highest section scores across the dates you send. Check each school’s score-reporting policy first — College Board’s send-scores page displays each school’s specific requirements as you check them off.
Sending ACT Scores: Superscore Doesn’t Send Itself
For fall 2026, US/international ACT test dates are 9/19, 10/17, and 12/12, with scores typically released 2–4 weeks after the test.
- Registration includes 4 free score reports to schools of your choice.
- After that, each additional report is US$20, charged per test date — sending scores from two different sittings means paying twice.
- International registration fees start around US$188.50, depending on whether you add Science or Writing.
- The important part: ACT’s Superscore does not send itself. You must actively choose “Superscore” or a “single test date” in the system. Many students assume that after three attempts, schools automatically see the best combination — and end up sending only their most recent attempt.
English Proficiency Tests: Using Your Free Reports Early Matters More Than Using Them Often
TOEFL iBT: name 4 free score recipients any time before test day; the deadline to change them is 10 p.m. local time the day before your test — the deadline students miss most often, since it falls before the test rather than after. Beyond that, each additional report is US$25. Delivery time depends on how the school receives it, but through the ETS Data Manager it’s typically about 4–8 business days. TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years.
IELTS: send up to 5 free paper Test Report Forms. Electronic score sharing through the IELTS Results Service is generally free and not limited to a fixed number of institutions. Fees for additional paper TRFs vary by test center — Taiwan-based test takers should confirm the exact amount with their registration center. Computer-delivered results are usually available within 1–2 days.
Duolingo English Test: sending scores is free with essentially no limit on institutions, and results are typically ready within about 2 days — though since this comes from Duolingo’s own site and couldn’t be independently verified item by item, confirm the actual fees and turnaround inside your account at englishtest.duolingo.com.
Working Backward From Nov 1: Your Score-Sending Timeline
Say you’re applying Early Decision or Early Action, with a deadline of November 1, 2026. Working backward from the numbers above:
- 9/12 test → 9/25 scores: plenty of time, with room to spare to decide whether to even send it.
- 10/3 test → 10/16 scores: the last SAT date that safely makes it in time for ED/EA. Send scores the moment they’re released on 10/16; with 5–10 business days for delivery, they’ll likely land around 10/26–10/30 — tight but workable, or pay for Rush if you want a margin. Registration for this date closes 9/18.
- 11/7 test → 11/20 scores: too late for ED/EA, but fine for most Regular Decision deadlines (1/1–1/15).
- 12/5 test → 12/18 scores: RD only, and some schools set separate cutoffs for December scores, so check individually.
Same logic for the ACT: the 10/17 test date releases scores in early November — already too late for a Nov 1 ED/EA deadline.
Good news: when your Common App is submitted and when your official scores arrive are two separate things. You can submit right on 11/1 and have official scores land slightly later, per each school’s policy — but how much later is up to the school. Check each school’s admissions site for their score-arrival deadline rather than assuming.
The Five Most Common Mistakes Taiwan-Based Applicants Make
- Assuming the Common App entry counts as sending scores. Self-reported scores just let admissions officers get an early look — the official report still has to be sent separately.
- Missing the free-report deadline without realizing it. For the SAT it’s 9 days after the test; for TOEFL it’s 10 p.m. the night before. Miss it, and you’re paying for every report from then on.
- Name and date-of-birth mismatches. The English name and date of birth on your score report must match your application and passport exactly. A common issue for Taiwanese students is a reversed name order or inconsistent middle-name handling, which causes the school’s system to fail to match the incoming score to your file — and your application can get flagged as incomplete.
- Underestimating delivery time. The 5–10 business day window doesn’t account for weekends or US holidays, and things back up especially badly around Thanksgiving.
- Ignoring a school’s “send all scores” requirement. Sending only your best attempt to a school that requires all scores can be treated as incomplete disclosure.
Three Things You Can Do This Week
- Open your school list and check three things for every school: testing policy, whether they require all scores, and their official score-arrival deadline. Put the answers in one table.
- Log into your College Board, ACT, and ETS accounts and confirm whether you’ve already used your free reports from past tests — and where they went.
- If you still need to retake the SAT and you’re aiming for ED/EA, register for the 10/3 test before 9/18.
Sending your scores requires no talent, yet it’s the easiest step to mess up. It won’t make your application stronger on its own — but skipping it undercuts everything else you’ve worked on.
About Ivy-Way: Ivy-Way Academy was founded by alumni of Harvard, Princeton, and other top universities, and offers SAT/ACT/AP test prep along with US college admissions counseling. If you’re not sure whether your scores are worth sending, or you want to plan out your testing timeline for the 2027 application season, feel free to reach out to us.
