Elusive 'Good' SAT Scores for 2024

Hey folks, a little stressed out junior here. I keep seeing this phrase 'good SAT score for 2024' popping up, but what's actually considered a 'good' score?

A "good" SAT score will depend on your target colleges' projected SAT averages and your own academic goals. Generally speaking, a composite score above 1060 is considered above average since it places you in the top 50% of all test takers.

For more competitive colleges, "good" scores will be higher. Most selective institutions will have 25th-75th percentile SAT scores in the 1300s-1500s range. This means that 25% of admitted students scored below this range, 50% were within this range, and 25% scored above. For instance, if you're aspiring to gain admission to a school like Dartmouth College, which is known for its academic rigor, you'll observe that their middle 50% SAT range is between 1440 and 1560.

But remember, excellent test scores don't guarantee admission, especially at highly selective colleges. Admissions decisions consider a variety of factors, including your GPA, course rigor, extracurricular activities, and essays.

It's good practice to compare your SAT scores with the averages or ranges at the colleges you're interested in. CollegeVine has a chancing engine that can help with this--it considers your SAT score along with other factors to give you a sense of your chance for admission at specific colleges.

Lastly, don't forget that some schools remain test-optional due to the impact of COVID-19. These schools offer the flexibility to decide whether or not to submit test scores as part of your application. Examples of these include University of Michigan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of Southern California. However, notable institutions such as Dartmouth, Harvard, Purdue, Brown, Yale, UT Austin, and Caltech require either SAT or ACT scores for the 2024-2025 application cycle.

While test scores are an important piece of the puzzle, they are not the whole picture. Having a strong academic record, involvement in quality extracurricular activities, and powerful essays can all add depth to your application.