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Connections

Where available, students who take the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, or PSAT™ 8/9 (for those students in 9th grade) during the school day, and students enrolled in AP courses, are eligible to participate in Connections™. It is an optional feature that connects students with information about nonprofit colleges, scholarship programs, and educational organizations that may be a good match. A school, district, or state may choose to not provide access to Connections for its students.

During the SAT Suite testing experience and/or when students access BigFuture School, they may opt into Connections. We may use the information listed below in Connections to match students with the organizations. No personal information is shared with these organizations as part of Connections.

  • For a student taking an SAT Suite school day test, information the student and their school, district, or state provide as part of testing.
  • When a student takes an AP course(s), in which AP courses the student is enrolled and information collected through My AP Profile.
  • Information about themselves the student chooses to share in the BigFuture School app.
  • The educational and career interests and preferences the student chooses to share in the BigFuture School app. 
  • The student’s score range on any of their current, past, and future College Board assessments.

College Board will deliver messages on behalf of organizations via the BigFuture School app, email, and postal mail (if the student chooses to download BigFuture School, and/or provide their email and/or address, all of which are optional). If the student uses the BigFuture School mobile app, they will also see their matched organizations and which ones are interested in them through the Connections features in the app.

Connections is free to students. If a student is interested in one of the colleges or programs, the student decides if and when to contact them and share their information directly. College Board may provide reports about a student’s use of Connections to these organizations, but only in aggregate and de-identified format. 

When a student opts in to Connections, College Board will only deliver content from or match the student with nonprofit organizations that meet one of the following criteria: 

  • Nonprofit colleges and universities accredited institution-wide by a U.S. DoE recognized accreditor to offer 2-year associate and/or 4-year bachelor's degrees. 
  • Nonprofit colleges and universities outside the U.S. accredited institution-wide by a government-recognized accrediting agency.
  • 501(c)(3) organizations for the purpose of offering no-cost scholarships, financial aid, or information regarding access to higher education.
  • A U.S. government agency or state agency, or their appointed commission or office, that is responsible for the oversight and administration of educational programs which are for the purpose of offering no-cost scholarships and/or financial aid or providing information regarding non-profit higher education.

A student can opt out of Connections through an opt-out feature within the BigFuture School app, or by contacting College Board’s Customer Service at (866) 630-9305. A student is also able to control specific communication preferences as they use Connections, including through email/mail/app notification controls within the app, an unsubscribe option within Connections emails, opt-out instructions included in each mailing, and by contacting College Board’s Customer Service.