To Self Report or Not to Self Report?

Hey guys. I've been seeing a lot about 'self-reporting' grades/SAT scores on college apps. What's the deal with self-reporting? Is it beneficial? Does everyone do it?

Self-reporting grades and standardized test scores is indeed a common practice and several universities encourage it. The fundamental concept of self-reporting is to save time and resources for both the applicant and the institution. For the universities, it makes the application review process more efficient since they have immediate access to your scores. On the student's end, it reduces the costs that would typically be spent on sending scores directly through testing agencies.

Here's how it typically works - the student would report their grades and test scores through the college application, whether that's through the Common App, Coalition App, or a university-specific application. Once the admissions decision is made, and if the student decides to enroll at the university, then an official transcript or test scores need to be submitted for verification.

However, not all colleges allow self-reporting; it depends on the school's specific policies. You should look into the application requirements of the schools you are interested in to get a clear answer. The admissions website of each school usually provides this information.

Not every applicant has to self-report their scores. For instance, several schools in the University of California system and the Cal State system are test-blind, meaning they do not consider SAT or ACT scores in their admissions review.

So, while it's beneficial due to convenience and cost-saving, you'll need to check each individual school's policy to make the right decision. Feel free to revisit this decision as you add or remove schools from your list.