As you’re registering your child for the ISEE, you’ll be asked if you want to send your scores to any schools. While this step may seem like it is required, it’s not! It is completely optional. A lot of parents complete this step and add score recipients without really considering the consequences.
Let’s say you go through the registration process and opt to send the scores to all of the schools that your child plans on applying to. After your child takes the test, you receive the scores and they are not as strong as you’d hoped. You decide that you want your child to retake the test and try to score higher, and you don’t want schools to see the low scores from the first test. At that point, it’s too late. The schools will have already received your child’s first scores.
While schools will normally allow you to submit multiple score reports, it’s difficult to determine how much those first low scores affect your child’s application. But don’t worry! There is a simple way to prevent this from happening.
Don’t add score recipients when registering for the ISEE!
You can wait until after your child has taken the official ISEE and you receive the scores to add score recipients. This will allow you to take some time and decide whether or not you want your child to retake the test.
So unless you’re pressed for time and taking the test very close to the application deadline, it’s always better to wait to add score recipients until after you’ve received your child’s scores.