Recently the College Board approved an important change to the current SAT score-reporting policy. Starting next year, students with have the freedom to send their scores by individual sitting (test date), choosing the date that they feel best represents their ability to colleges and universities, at no additional cost. 
 
Historically, when a student arranged a SAT report, colleges received all results from a student's test-taking record. While most schools would state that their evaluations would be based on only the best results from the testing record, students often feared that colleges would frown on their lesser scores, or judge the number of times in they had taken the SAT.
 
The College Board explains that the change is intended "to reduce student stress and improve the test-day experience." Interestingly, this policy mirrors the policy of the American College Testing program (ACT).
 
How does this change affect students? Seniors graduating in 2009 should not be affected, as their scores will be completed before that time. Juniors and younger students can plan on using this policy to confidently apply to schools presenting only their highest results. This new policy will, however, require that students pay close attention to the scores received by each school, as it is will be possible to have different score data in place at each school.