Is a 990 SAT score good enough for college applications?

I just got my SAT score and it's a 990. I'm feeling a little anxious about whether this is a good enough score for my college applications. What do you all think? Any advice on whether to retake the test or just work on other aspects of my application?

A 990 SAT score may be competitive for some colleges, but it may not be a strong score for more selective schools. It's important to consider the median SAT scores of the colleges you're interested in applying to. If your score falls below the middle 50% SAT range for those schools, it may be beneficial to retake the exam to improve your chances of admission. You can usually find middle 50% data directly on a school's website, or through third parties like CollegeVine.

Additionally, it's helpful to research each college's test-optional policy, as some schools may not require or even consider SAT scores in the admissions process. For detailed guidance on how to navigate test-optional policies, check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-test-optional-mean-test-optional/

If you decide to retake the SAT, you can prepare by focusing on the areas where you struggled, taking practice tests, and utilizing resources like Khan Academy, which offers free SAT prep materials, or CollegeVine, which has a series of blog posts focused on SAT prep (such as this one: https://blog.collegevine.com/10-tips-to-improve-your-sat-score), as well as a marketplace of expert college admissions advisors, some of whom specialize in standardized test prep and can give you personalized guidance on how to raise your score.

However, if you feel you've reached the limit of your SAT improvement or that your strengths lie elsewhere, consider focusing on other aspects of your application, such as:

1. Grades: Maintain a strong GPA by excelling in challenging courses throughout your high school career.

2. Extracurriculars: Participate in meaningful activities that align with your interests, show leadership, and demonstrate dedication.

3. Essays: Craft compelling and authentic personal essays that showcase your character, achievements, and goals.

4. Letters of recommendation: Request recommendations from teachers and counselors who can speak to your strengths and potential.

Ultimately, the decision on whether to retake the SAT or focus on other aspects of your application should be based on your personal circumstances and preferences. Raising your SAT score significantly requires a lot of time and energy, so you want to make sure those efforts will pay off.

Keep in mind that colleges evaluate applicants holistically, so a strong application will consist of a balance of good academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and well-written essays. Notable strengths in these others areas can compensate for a lower SAT score.

If you want to get a sense of how your overall profile stacks up at a particular school, I'd recommend checking out CollegeVine's free chancing engine, which accounts for all quantifiable aspects of your application (GPA, course rigor, extracurriculars, and yes, test scores) to give you personalized odds of acceptance at hundreds of colleges across the country: https://www.collegevine.com/admissions-calculator/.

This tool will also give you suggestions for how to improve your chances, whether that's a higher SAT, or something else, like a leadership position in one of your extracurriculars. And finally, you can experiment with entering slightly higher SAT scores, to quantify the impact say, an 1100 would have on your chances at your top-choice schools.

Good luck with your college process!