A Good SAT SCORE?
A good score is any score that gets you into the college of your choice! A
SAT score is not an absolute value. It is a scaled score to indicate your performance
in comparison with that of the other 2 million students who take this test every
year. Your scores can go up and down according to how you feel on the day of
the test or how well you have prepared. Parents need to be warned that it is
not an absolute indicator of their child's intelligence. That said, on a total
score of 1600 (800 verbal, 800 math) a score of 1150-1250 is adequate for many
colleges. A score of 1250-1350 is good, and a score above 1350 should ensure
that you have no problems for admission.
Generally speaking, scoring close to the mean (average)-about 500 on verbal
and 500 on math-tells you that you scored as well as about half of the students
who took the test. Because no single score can tell everything about how you
performed on the test, the score reports sent to colleges also include percentiles
and score ranges.
SAT scores range from 200 to 800 points in each of the Verbal and Math areas
of the SAT, or a total score of up to 1600 points. Since only about 20 of the
over 1,000,000 students who take the SAT each year get a perfect score, how
do you figure out what a good score for you would be?
There are two good ways
1. Find out what the college you desire to attend requires. This can
be in terms of a minimum SAT score or an average score for admitted Freshman.
You can get this information by either calling the school's Admissions Office
directly or by buying (or looking at) a book in your local book store or library.
These books are usually found in the Reference section and distributed by a
variety of publishers or can be found on the Internet using the links below:
SAT Scores for
the Nation's Top Colleges and Universities (US News & World Report)
College and University Admission
Information by State
2. Score at least as high on the SAT as the national average for your GPA
in high school. Colleges and universities use SAT scores to compare students
from different high schools across the country. They don't usually know how
difficult or easy your high school is or the classes you took. So they use your
SAT to compare or "validate" your GPA. Your SAT score should be roughly
equivalent to your GPA (or better!).
Other Questions...
Why do I need to take SAT?
SAT is part of the entrance requirements for almost all American undergraduate
colleges. Some require only SAT-I, which is a test of your verbal and math skills.
Others, usually the higher-ranking colleges, require both SAT-I and SAT-II.
SAT-II are subject tests; you usually take three of these in Math (level I or
II), English Writing Test, and one other subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics,
Literature, and French are most frequently chosen by international students).
You should always check the requirements of the colleges to which you want to
apply (www.collegeboard.org has information).
When do I take the SAT test?
Ideally you should take SAT-I towards the end of grade XI or the beginning
of grade XII. You need to complete yourtesting before you send your applications.
Again, check the college deadlines. Plan well ahead in case you need to repeat
the tests. If you try to take the tests too soon - just after grade X - you
normally do not do so well. SAT-I scores improve with increasing maturity!
How do I prepare?
Most of your peers are taking a prep course. The best way to prepare especially
if you lack sef-discipline and need structure is to buy a SAT studyguide or
take a prep-course. To find SAT, studyguides, click SAT.
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