Since 2017, several universities are making efforts to accept self-reported SAT and ACT test scores during the application process and only require official reports when a student actually enrolls. The individuals pushing for this change have included Gabrielle McColgan, James Murphy, Marie Bigham, and many other contributors.
Institutions, like Colby College, have been allowing students to self-report scores since last year, and it works like this: when you fill out your application, you mark your ACT or SAT score yourself. They’ll consider you based on the information you’ve provided, and, once you’re accepted, and have chosen that college in return, only then will you be required to send over the official transcripts. The first year of self-reported test scores for colleges reportedly went exceedingly well — the concerns about honesty regarding test scores were proven to be totally unfounded. Every student had reported their scores accurately. This opens up more doors for students who come from low-income families, and the trend is catching!
Among the many expenses that add up in the college admission process are application fees, test registration fees, and official score report fees. Many students are eligible to have these fees waived, but other students who don’t qualify for waivers may still find the costs to be a burden. A typical scenario might involve a student taking both the SAT and ACT once or twice, applying to 8–10 colleges, and spending a few hundred dollars simply to have official score reports sent to each college. The average cost of a college application fee is approximately $43, according to a study by US News, and the most common fee is $50 for a college admissions application. Stanford University application fees reached $90 in the most recent analysis, with at least 50 Ivy League schools charging $75 per application.
