If I had an SAT score that was much higher than a colleges average but also a GPA that doesn’t correlate well with the SAT score, does it hurt chances to not send an official report? Would colleges be skeptical about the SAT score or am I safe with only self-reporting?
Many colleges require an official report besides self reporting so check each schools test score requirements.
Some colleges accept self-reported test scores for applications. You also have to report the date on which you took the exam. If one of these universities accept you, it will be on the condition that you send an official report that matches the score/date that you self-reported.
College websites are very clear about what is required before an application will be considered. If a college or university website says that an official score is required, sending only a self reported score to these schools is totally not safe and will result in your application not even being considered.
If a college accepts self-reporting on application, and it admits you, it will expect you to send an official score report with a matching date and score if you matriculate.
And if it does not match then the acceptance will be rescinded.
It sounds like you intend to report a fake score.
As others have said, it is fine to self report as you will be asked to submit an official score report if admitted. Of course, if your official report differs from what you self-reported, your offer will be cancelled and your school notified.
Also, if colleges have any questions, they will contact your school. They often do this to discuss unusual aspects of a candidate’s application, or should they wish further information or to understand things in context. After my S was admitted to colleges, his counsellor mentioned that Princeton and Amherst had spoken to him about students’ applying that year. During the conversation he said they both discussed my son’s interest and background. The counsellor said he fielded many such calls, especially from highly selective colleges.
I interpret the OP’s question to be “If someone actually has something like a 3.2 GPA and a 1480 SAT, and the school says self-reporting is acceptable, couldn’t the school still have doubts about the self-reported test score really being that much better than the GPA? Would it be safer to send an official report anyway to avoid that possibility?”
So I don’t see this as an attempt to send in a false score. My opinion is that if a school says they consider self-reported scores you should take them at their word. They know that some people have scores and grades that are not at the same level.
Allowing self-reporting, but with verification upon matriculation, could save the student some money for score reporting on application.
If lots of colleges did that, the revenue streams for the ACT and SAT companies would shrink, since each student would only send one score report to the college s/he matriculates to, instead of many to all of the colleges applied to.