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Your chance of acceptance
Duke University
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UCLA
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Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

Decoding Average SAT Scores

Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all this SAT stuff - what does an average score on the SAT look like? And do colleges typically want scores higher than this average?

3 months ago

An "average" SAT score typically hovers around the midpoint range of 1050–1100. This range is calculated by combining the mean scores of each component of the SAT.

Regarding college admissions, though, an "average" score may not necessarily make you a competitive candidate at most institutions. Each college has its own SAT expectancy, which you can usually find published on their official admissions pages or on platforms like CollegeVine.

Most selective schools, including all Ivy League institutions, likely expect an SAT score well into the 1400s or higher. More moderately selective institutions might have an average accepted SAT score in the 1200-1300 range.

An important thing to remember: colleges typically provide score ranges for SAT scores of admitted applicants, not just the average. They often report the middle 50% range, meaning the scores that place students between the 25th and 75th percentile of the accepted student population. For example, if University X reports an SAT score range of 1300-1500, it means that 50% of the students accepted to University X scored within that range.

In essence, while understanding the nationwide "average" SAT score can be helpful, focusing more on the average scores reported by the specific colleges you're interested in will give you a more accurate benchmark for where your score should be. Be sure to do your research on each individual school's expectations and use that as your guide.

3 months ago

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CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.