Which colleges do not superscore the SAT or ACT?

Several colleges use results from one test date

Examples of colleges that do not superscore the SAT or ACT include UT Austin, Penn State, UW–Madison, Texas A&M, Georgetown, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Their published policies are summarized below. Illinois adds an important distinction: it asks for your highest section scores even though it does not combine them into a new total.

This is a selected list for undergraduate first-year planning, not a complete national directory. Policies were checked on September 20, 2026. Read the linked admissions instructions for your entry year, campus, and program before submitting scores. Scholarship and transfer rules may differ.

Selected colleges that do not superscore, checked September 20, 2026
College	SAT superscore?	ACT superscore?	What the published policy says
University of Texas at Austin	No	No	Uses the highest score from one test date.
Penn State	No	No	Uses the highest combined score from a single test date when scores are considered.
University of Wisconsin–Madison	No	No	Considers the highest score by test date; superscores are not used.
Texas A&M University	No	No	Its test-optional FAQ explicitly states that it does not superscore.
Georgetown University	No	No	Requires at least one full SAT or ACT and states that it does not accept superscores.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	No	No	Report the highest SAT total or ACT Composite without superscoring, plus highest section scores across dates.

What does superscoring mean?

Superscoring combines your strongest section results from different dates of the same exam. For the SAT, that can mean combining Reading and Writing from one sitting with Math from another. For the current ACT, the superscore Composite uses the highest English, Math, and Reading scores across test dates.

The example below shows why a superscore can differ from your best single-day total. These are invented scores for illustration. A college that uses the highest single sitting would use 1410 in this example; a college that combines these SAT sections could use 1450.

ACT: current superscore calculation and institutional policies

Illustration: a highest single SAT total versus a superscore
Result	Reading and Writing	Math	Total
First sitting	700	650	1350
Second sitting	660	750	1410
Combined highest sections	700	750	1450

A college can handle SAT and ACT retakes differently

Princeton is an example. Its FAQ says it considers the highest SAT section results across sittings, but accepts an ACT Composite only from an entire sitting. Princeton also says it does not superscore between paper and digital tests. Check the format restriction as well as the name of the exam.

Older lists can also become inaccurate. Stanford’s current policy allows applicants to report an ACT superscore and says it superscores the SAT. Do not assume a college still follows a policy described in an old forum post or admissions article.

Superscoring, score choice, and test-optional are different

Superscoring describes how results from multiple dates are evaluated. Score choice concerns which test reports you send, subject to the college’s reporting instructions. Test-optional describes whether you can apply without having SAT or ACT scores considered. One policy does not settle the other two.

Penn State, for example, allows applicants to choose whether scores are considered and uses the highest combined result from a single date when they are. Illinois requests highest section scores as additional information without creating a superscored total. Follow each application’s fields carefully instead of entering a self-created total where it asks for one sitting.

Which colleges make SAT and ACT scores optional?

How should this affect your study and reporting plan?

For colleges using one sitting, practice sustaining performance across the whole exam. You can still focus a study session on one weak area, but use full-length checkpoints to see whether gains hold without losing ground elsewhere. Taking another test helps only if it provides useful evidence or a stronger result under the college’s rules.

For colleges that superscore, targeted section improvement can be useful, but give every section a full effort. Check which dates, formats, and reports the college accepts. Do not combine SAT sections with ACT sections, and do not report a practice estimate as an official score.

I checked the SAT policy and ACT policy separately.
I know whether the college combines sections or uses a single sitting.
I checked whether all dates, selected dates, or an official ACT superscore report are requested.
I checked scholarship, program, and reporting-deadline requirements.
My application entries match the score reports and the college’s instructions.

Try this next

Write your target colleges and their score-use policies in your study plan. Use a Bilubi diagnostic to practice a complete test and review mistakes. A free account is required, with no credit card; Bilubi practice estimates are not official SAT or ACT scores.