You've spent months—maybe years—preparing for the SAT. You've sat in that sterile testing room, clutching a Number 2 pencil, heart hammering against your ribs. Then the scores come back. Maybe you crushed Math but tripped on Reading. Or maybe your first try was a total disaster, but your third was a masterpiece.
Naturally, you want to show colleges your best self. Most schools let you do just that through "Score Choice," where you pick and choose which dates to send. But then there’s that small, elite group of schools that basically say, "Nope, we want to see everything."
Honestly, it’s stressful. The idea of an admissions officer seeing that 1100 from your sophomore year when you’re applying with a 1550 feels like showing up to a first date with your awkward middle school yearbook photos. But understanding which colleges require all SAT scores is the first step to keeping your sanity during the 2026 application cycle.
The Shrinking List of "All Scores" Schools
It used to be a much longer list. Ten years ago, you had to keep a spreadsheet just to track which Ivies and top-tier tech schools wanted your full history. Today? Most of them have backed off. They realized that "all scores" requirements were actually discouraging high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds who couldn't afford to take the test five times anyway.
However, a few heavy hitters still hold the line.
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Georgetown University is the most famous holdout. If you apply to Georgetown, you have to submit every single SAT score you've ever received. They don't participate in Score Choice. They want the full context of your testing journey.
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) used to be a "strict all scores" school. Lately, they’ve softened a bit, but for the 2025-2026 cycle, their policy is nuanced. While they technically allow you to choose for some programs, for high-stakes tracks like the School of Computer Science, they strongly encourage or require the full history. It’s always best to assume they want the full picture if you’re aiming for their most competitive slots.
Yale University and Stanford University are the big ones to watch right now. Both recently moved back to requiring test scores for the Fall 2026 entry. Yale calls it a "test-flexible" policy, but they are very clear: if you submit SAT or ACT scores, they want to see the whole history to help them understand your progression.
Why Do They Even Care?
You might wonder why a school like Georgetown would want to see a bad score from two years ago. It feels like a trap.
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Actually, it’s usually the opposite.
Admissions officers at these schools—folks like Charles Deacon, the longtime Dean of Admissions at Georgetown—have often said that seeing multiple scores helps them "superscore" more accurately. They want to see that you didn’t just get lucky once. They want to see your growth. If you went from a 1200 to a 1450, that tells a story of grit and improvement. That's a good thing!
The "All Scores" Honor System
Here is a secret: the College Board's "Score Choice" feature is technically a technical tool. When you send scores through the official portal, you check boxes. If a school requires all scores, you are expected to check all the boxes.
There isn't a "secret police" that checks if you held back a score, but if a college finds out you lied on your application, they can (and do) rescind admissions offers. It happens. Don't risk a Harvard or Georgetown acceptance over a bad score from your freshman year.
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Who is NOT on the list anymore?
- The University of California (UC) System: They are famously "test-blind" now. They don't even look at scores, even if you try to send them.
- Cornell University: Used to be "all scores" for certain colleges (like ILR), but they have moved toward test-optional or test-recommended policies that allow Score Choice.
- University of Pennsylvania: UPenn used to want it all. Now? Use Score Choice. Send your best.
How to Handle the "All Scores" Requirement
If you’re applying to one of these schools, don’t panic. Most of them still superscore.
Superscoring is when a college takes your highest Math score from October and your highest Reading score from December and combines them into one "super" composite score.
$$\text{Superscore} = \max(\text{Math}_1, \text{Math}_2, \dots) + \max(\text{Reading}_1, \text{Reading}_2, \dots)$$
Even Georgetown, which is strict about seeing everything, will focus on those highest section scores. They aren't looking for reasons to reject you; they’re looking for the best evidence of what you can do.
Actionable Strategy for 2026 Applicants
- Check the 2026 Portal Early: Policies are shifting fast as more schools ditch the "test-optional" experiment of the early 2020s. Check the "Standardized Testing" page of every school on your list in August.
- Limit Your Sittings: Even if a school wants "all scores," they don't want to see seven attempts. Aim for two or three. After the third time, your score rarely moves enough to justify the effort, and it starts to look like you’re obsessed with the test rather than your classes.
- Use the "Additional Information" Section: If you had one really terrible testing day—maybe you had the flu or there was a construction jackhammer outside the window—tell them! Use the 650-word "Additional Info" box on the Common App to give context to that one outlier.
- Focus on the Transcript: At the end of the day, no "all scores" school will pick a kid with a 1600 and a 3.0 GPA over a kid with a 1500 and a 4.0. The SAT is a filter, not a golden ticket.
If you’re ready to start sending those reports, head over to the College Board website and double-check each university's CEEB code. Make sure you've selected "All Scores" for Georgetown and Yale to stay in their good graces. You've done the hard work of taking the test; now just make sure the paperwork doesn't trip you up.
Next Step: Review your current score report and identify your highest section scores across all dates to see what your "superscore" looks like before you decide which "all scores" colleges are worth the reach.