Understanding SAT Scores: What Colleges Expect from Applicants. The main use of your SAT score is to help you gain admission to your desired college. The average SAT score is around 1050. Before selecting the college you wish to go to, check the average SAT score they require for admission in the first year, and you can use that score as your goal. Different colleges have different SAT score limits. Please read the full article to gain knowledge about SAT scores and what are the expectations of colleges from applicants.
Understanding SAT Scores
The SAT is a nationally recognized test developed and published by the College Board, the same organization that is in charge of AP tests and the CSS profile. There are thousands of colleges and universities that still need the SAT or ACT. A good SAT score will help you stand out from the crowd when applying to an institute that is test-optional. A good SAT score depends on which university you are applying for.
When you get your scores, you will be provided with a percentile rank—a number between 1 and 99 that tells you the percentage of students who got an equal or lower score than yours. Percentiles provide you with information such as how to score ranks among SAT takers in general. For example, if your percentile rank is 57th, that means 57% scored the same or lower than you. Normally, the higher your percentile rank, the better it looks on college applications.
What Is a Good SAT Score?
A good SAT score helps you gain admission to a college that you want to go to. The average SAT score is around 1050. A score of 1350 would put you in the top 10% of test takers and help make your application competitive at more exclusive universities. A good SAT score depends on your objectives in life and your desired school or college. The majority of schools do not have strict necessities for a good SAT score, but to maximize your chances of admission, prepare and study to do your best.
A student must remember that their SAT score is not just one single factor that will determine their admission to the desired college. Your grades, application essays, and extracurriculars also help in shaping your application for admission. Here is a list of top universities in the U.S. that accept SAT scores:
| Name of School | Average SAT Score |
| Princeton | 1520 |
| MIT | 1540 |
| Harvard | 1550 |
| Stanford | 1540 |
| Yale | 1540 |
| Caltech | 1540 |
| Duke | 1550 |
| Johns Hopkins | 1550 |
| Northwestern | 1530 |
| Penn | 1540 |
| Cornell | 1520 |
| UChicago | 1540 |
| Brown | 1540 |
| Columbia | 1530 |
| Dartmouth | 1500 |
| UCLA | 1530 |
| UC Berkeley | 1530 |
| Rice | 1530 |
| Notre Dame | 1500 |
| Vanderbilt | 1540 |
| Carnegie Mellon | 1540 |
| University of Michigan | 1570 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 1530 |
| Emory | 1500 |
| Georgetown | 1480 |
| University of Virginia | 1450 |
Among these, Caltech, UCLA, and UC Berkeley are no longer reporting SAT scores for admitted students due to being test-free. The scores listed for these schools are from previous years.
Benefits of SAT Scores
SAT scores are very important for students in many ways. They are an important factor in determining whether you stand out from the crowd and are selected to be admitted to your preferred college or school. The benefits of SAT scores are as follows:
There are many colleges that don’t need an admission test score as part of your application; the test strengthens your college application nearly everywhere. Most U.S. colleges and universities accept the SAT. It is a good option to take the test if you are confused about which college you must be admission to.
Many colleges publicly release the average SAT score of their admitted candidates. This will help you verify and compare your score with other candidate’s scores. This way, you can decide on your college, whichever you think you will get admission to and will be good for your future.
Various colleges and institutes provide scholarship money to students based on their SAT scores.
The SAT is very beneficial to sharpen the skills and knowledge that are required to be effective in college and career. While preparing for the SAT, students gain significant skills at the core of education.
Retaking of SAT
There are many students who are not able to score good marks on their first attempt at the SAT. But there is no need to worry, as candidates can retake the SAT as many times as they want. However, you will have to pay additional fees to take the SAT again.