What's a decent SAT score nowadays?

Hey folks, been grinding those practice SATs to no end over here. Anyone know what an average score looks like these days? What should I aim for to get into solid schools? Does perfect score matter anymore?

The score you should be aiming for typically depends on the types of schools you're interested in applying to. Since the SAT went fully digital in spring 2024, it consists of the Reading and Writing and Math sections, each receiving a score between 200 and 800. These two scores are added together for your final SAT score, ranging from 400 to 1600.

For most applicants, the average SAT score tends to hover around 1050. But remember, just being average won't likely make you a competitive applicant at selective schools. For more selective colleges, you'll typically see middle 50% scores in the range of about 1300-1500. A score in this range basically means that you're above average and might be more likely to gain admission to these selective schools.

Getting a perfect score of 1600 can certainly be impressive and might give you an edge at highly selective colleges, but it's not a guarantee of admission. Colleges look at a variety of factors, including your GPA, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and essays, along with your SAT score. It's a holistic process and your SAT score is just one piece of the puzzle.

Remember, schools like Dartmouth, Harvard, Purdue, Brown, Yale, UT Austin, and Caltech require an SAT or ACT score as of the 2024-2025 application cycle, so spending time to prepare for the test is crucial. Other schools like Columbia, Princeton, Stanford, UPenn, Johns Hopkins, NYU, and UChicago are still test-optional, which means you don't necessarily need to submit standardized test scores to be considered for admission.

Bottom line: while an average SAT score is around 1050, you should aim for as high a score as you can get, given the time and resources you have to prepare. A high score showcases your ability to handle college-level work. But remember, a high score is not everything—focus also on maintaining good grades, performing well in challenging courses, and pursuing meaningful extracurricular activities.