<p>Good guess, ivyhopeful13–but not correct…</p>
<p>Colleges ask students to self-report test scores for two reasons First, in cases where an application is complete except for official test scores, the self-reported scores allow colleges to do a preliminary read. They will never make a final decision based on self-reported scores, but having that info lets them move forward with their initial evaluation.</p>
<p>Second, self-reported scores (and academic information) can help colleges target students who might be eligible for certain programs (scholarships, honors programs, etc.).</p>
<p>Again, it’s important to restate that colleges are NOT making decisions based on self-reported information–and they are definitely not trying to play “gotcha!” games.</p>