High school students submitting college applications will soon be able to show only their best SAT scores to the schools they are applying to, following a policy change by the College Board.

The board, the non-profit association that owns the test, decided on the policy change last week. The College Board administered the exam to 1.5 million students last year, according to board officials.

"Our extensive research and surveying of students, parents and high school counselors revealed very clearly that the feature students most want in relation to score sending is the ability to control which scores are sent," said College Board spokesperson Alana Klein in an e-mail.

Beginning with the high school class of 2010, the new policy allows SAT test-takers the option of sending colleges the score of their choice from the SAT reasoning test, according to the College Board Web site. The policy already applies to scores from the SAT subject tests.

Students can only send a score that is taken from one sitting, but if they do not select a specific score, then all of their scores will be sent, according to the College Board Web site.

But according to UC spokesperson Brad Hayward, all UC applicants already have the ability to choose which SAT scores are seen by admissions officers.

College Board officials said the policy change will greatly benefit students.

"This new score-reporting policy will give students greater flexibility in which scores are reported to colleges and universities and reduce the stress that is associated with the test-taking experience," Klein said in the e-mail.

Klein said implementing the policy in spring 2009 would allow time for colleges and universities to adapt their application requirements and admissions policies to the change.

However, Robert Schaeffer, public education director for the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, said he believes the new policy will do more harm than help.

"It's a two-ended sword," Schaeffer said. "Students will be taking the SATs earlier and (the test will) increase stress levels for everyone that will take the test four to five times."

Tags: COLLEGE BOARD, SAT