# SAT Superscore Colleges and Retake Dates 2026 | topin On this page ## How an SAT superscore works Take the best Reading and Writing score and the best Math score from all your real SAT sittings and add them. The college does the combining, not College Board: your score reports always show each sitting as it happened. __Example: two sittings and the resulting superscore__ | Record | Reading and Writing | Math | Total | | ------------------- | ------------------- | ---- | ----- | | October sitting | 680 | 700 | 1380 | | December sitting | 650 | 750 | 1400 | | Best single sitting | 650 | 750 | 1400 | | Superscore | 680 | 750 | 1430 | At a superscoring college this student is read as 1430\. At a college that does not superscore, the best result is 1400, and 1430 must never be reported as a single sitting. You can only combine SAT sections with other SAT sections, not with PSAT or ACT scores. ## Which colleges superscore the SAT? __SAT superscore policies on admissions pages, checked 4 October 2026__ | College | Superscores the SAT? | Autumn 2027 testing | | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | | Yale | Yes | Required | | Brown | Yes | Required | | Cornell | Yes, highest section across dates | Required | | Penn | Yes | Required (hardship waiver available) | | Dartmouth | Yes, highest section scores | Required (alternatives for schools abroad) | | Harvard | Not spelled out for the SAT; uses the highest ACT composite | Required | | Princeton | Not stated; allows Score Choice and does not combine paper and digital sittings | Optional; required from autumn 2028 | | MIT | Yes, highest section; you must report every sitting | Required | | Stanford | Yes | Required | | Caltech | Yes | Required | | Johns Hopkins | Yes | Required | | Georgetown | No: needs one full sitting, and official reports | Required | | Vanderbilt | Yes, including paper and digital | Optional; required from autumn 2029 | | Notre Dame | Yes | Optional; required from autumn 2028 | | Claremont McKenna | Yes, within the SAT (not across SAT and ACT) | Optional; required from autumn 2028 | | Emory, WashU, Rice, University of Chicago | Yes | Optional (Rice recommends) | | Carnegie Mellon | Yes for the SAT (not the ACT) | Varies by college | | University of Alabama | Yes, for admission | Required if GPA is below 3.0 | Superscoring works at test-optional colleges too: if you choose to send scores to Notre Dame or Vanderbilt, they combine your best sections. For which colleges require a score at all, see [our tracker of colleges that require the SAT](/articles/colleges-requiring-sat-2026). If a college is missing from this table, check its admissions page; absence here does not mean it refuses to superscore. ## Exceptions: Georgetown and scholarships Georgetown asks for at least one complete SAT or ACT, does not accept superscores and requires official score reports. For the example student above, Georgetown sees 1400, not 1430\. If a non-superscoring college is on your list, a retake has to protect both sections at once. Admission and scholarship rules can differ. The University of Alabama superscores for admission, but its automatic merit scholarships follow their own published score rules. Check the scholarship terms separately before you count on a combined score. ## Superscoring, Score Choice and self-reporting * Superscoring: how a college combines your sections. The college decides. * Score Choice: which test dates you send through College Board. You choose whole dates only; you cannot send Math from one day and Reading and Writing from another. * Self-reporting: typing your scores into the application. Many colleges accept this and ask for official reports only if you enrol. To get the benefit of a superscore, send (or self-report) every sitting that contains one of your best sections. Some colleges, such as MIT, ask for all your sittings regardless, and Score Choice does not override a college’s own rule. Your first four score reports are free if you order them within nine days of the test; after that each one costs $15. ## Set a retake target by section If every college on your list superscores, a retake only needs to raise one section. Keep your existing highs, pick the section with more room to grow, and aim at that. [Our guide to good SAT scores](/articles/good-sat-score) shows what each section score means in percentiles. __Retake targets from existing highs of 680 Reading and Writing and 750 Math__ | Goal | What has to happen | Superscore | | ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ---------------- | | Raise Reading and Writing | Reading and Writing reaches 720 | 720 + 750 = 1470 | | Raise Math | Math reaches 800 | 680 + 800 = 1480 | | Raise both | Reading and Writing 720 and Math 780, on any dates | 1500 | In this example Reading and Writing is the realistic lever: 40 points there is more achievable than a perfect Math score. Still take full timed mocks rather than practising one section only, because you sit the whole test every time. [The SAT score calculator](/sat/score-calculator) turns practice results into estimated section scores. ## When to retake in 2026–27 The remaining weekend tests are 7 November and 5 December 2026, then 6 March, 1 May and 5 June 2027\. October scores (16 October) arrive a week before November registration closes on 23 October, so you can decide with your result in hand. November scores arrive on 20 November, the same day December registration closes, so plan a December backup in advance. [Our SAT test dates guide](/articles/sat-curve-test-dates-2026) lists every deadline and release date. Check each college’s last accepted test for your round before booking. Stanford and Brown take October for early applications, MIT and Penn take November, and December is the last SAT for most regular deadlines. ## When to retake, and when to stop * Retake if a section is below the middle 50% of your target colleges and you have a concrete weakness to fix. * Retake if a required-testing college accepts a later date and you have at least four to six weeks to prepare. * Stop when both sections sit at or above your colleges’ midpoints and practice scores have levelled off. * Stop if another test would crowd out coursework or applications that matter more. Before booking, take a full-length mock to check that your practice scores have actually moved since the last sitting. If they have not, spend the time on the weak skills first. ## Try a full SAT mock free Timed like test day, every section scored, every answer explained. [Take the free mock ](/sat/login) ## FAQs What is an SAT superscore? Your highest Reading and Writing score plus your highest Math score across all your SAT sittings, combined by the college. Does College Board create my superscore? No. Colleges combine your sections themselves; your score reports always show each test date as it happened. Do Yale, Stanford and MIT superscore the SAT? Yes. MIT asks you to report every sitting and uses your highest section scores. Does Georgetown superscore the SAT? No. Georgetown asks for at least one complete SAT or ACT and does not accept superscores. Can I use Score Choice to send just one section? No. Score Choice works by whole test date, so send each sitting that contains one of your best sections. Is December 2026 too late for a retake? For most regular deadlines it is fine, with scores on 18 December. Early rounds usually need October or November, so check each college. ## Sources (checked 4 October 2026) * [Yale: Standardized testing](https://admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing) * [Brown: Standardized tests](https://admission.brown.edu/ask/standardized-tests) * [Cornell: Standardized testing policy](https://admissions.cornell.edu/policies/standardized-testing-policy) * [Penn: Testing](https://admissions.upenn.edu/how-to-apply/preparing-your-application/testing) * [Dartmouth: Testing policy](https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/apply-dartmouth/reactivating-dartmouths-testing-policy) * [Harvard: Application requirements](https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/application-requirements) * [Princeton: Standardized testing](https://admission.princeton.edu/apply/standardized-testing) * [MIT: Tests and scores](https://mitadmissions.org/apply/firstyear/tests-scores/) * [Stanford: Testing](https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/first-year/testing.html) * [Caltech: Standardized tests](https://www.admissions.caltech.edu/apply/first-year-applicants/standardized-tests) * [Johns Hopkins: Standardized testing](https://apply.jhu.edu/how-to-apply/application-deadlines-requirements/standardized-testing/) * [Georgetown: How to prepare](https://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/apply/first-year-applicants/how-to-prepare/) * [Vanderbilt: Testing policies](https://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/apply/testing-policies/) * [Notre Dame: Standardized testing policy](https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/standardized-testing-policy/) * [Claremont McKenna: First-year application instructions](https://www.cmc.edu/admission/first-year-application-instructions) * [Emory: Standardized exam policies](https://apply.emory.edu/apply/first-year/tips/standardized-exam-policies.html) * [WashU: Admission requirements](https://admissions.wustl.edu/how-to-apply/admission-requirements/) * [Rice: First-year applicants](https://admission.rice.edu/apply/first-year-international-applicants) * [University of Chicago: Admissions FAQ](https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/uchicago-admissions-faq/) * [Carnegie Mellon: Standardized testing](https://www.cmu.edu/admission/admission/standardized-testing) * [University of Alabama: Testing requirements](https://admissions.ua.edu/testing-requirements/) * [College Board: Score Choice](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/scores/sending-sat-scores/additional/score-choice) * [College Board: Can I send only part of my SAT score?](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/help-center/can-i-choose-send-only-part-my-sat-score) * [College Board: International fees](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration/international-testing/fees) * [College Board: SAT dates and deadlines](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/dates-deadlines) ## Related articles [All SAT study guides ](/sat) * [SATAdmissionsColleges requiring testsWhich colleges require the SAT or ACT for autumn 2027 entry, which bring testing back for the Class of 2028 or 2029, and the last test date each accepts.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/colleges-requiring-sat-2026) * [SATScores & percentilesPSAT, SAT and National MeritPSAT to SAT conversion, the Selection Index formula, Class of 2027 National Merit cutoffs for every state and the October 2026 PSAT score release dates.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/psat-to-sat-national-merit-2026) * [SATScores & percentilesSAT curve and score datesThere is no SAT curve: the digital SAT is scored by adaptive item response theory. Here is what that means, plus every 2026–27 test date and score release.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/sat-curve-test-dates-2026) * [SATAdmissionsSAT admission in IndiaIndian universities that accept the SAT, the real IIIT Hyderabad (1070) and BITS (1160) minimums, who each route is for, and what the SAT costs in India.Updated 4 Oct 2026](/articles/sat-indian-universities-admission)