ERAS gives you an option to automatically release your new step scores to programs when they are available. It also says that they may be released to other programs before you see them. Is this a good idea, or do you think its best to wait and see what my Step II score is? ERAS gives you the option to re-authorize release of scores to your schools once you get the results.
So, do you have a great Step 1 score and probably will get a great Step 2 score? Then who cares, just do it automatically.
Do you have a crappy Step 1 score, and you're hoping your Step 2 score will make up the difference? Do it automatically, the sooner they see the score, the less likely they are to put you in the discard pile on a Step cutoff. Bogus, but that's what happens.
Are you meticulous, detailed oriented, free of mistakes or forgetfulness? If yes, then you probably won't make a mistake and accidentally forget to send your Step 2 scores until march, when its already too late, so you can wait. If you just want to chill, and forget about as much as you can in your fourth year, set it to auto.
At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter. You are going to submit the score one way or another. Whether you see it first or not has little bearing on whether you will send it or not (they will see you took it, but have not submitted the score).
The only way I wouldn't do auto is if you are going to jerk off into a sock and call it Step Studying, with the potential for a 45 point drop between Step 1 and Step 2. Then you should just wait until february to take it, since it wont matter then (and this question is moot).
