Making sense of being in the 98th Percentile SAT

I just received my SAT score and it's in the 98th percentile. I'm struggling to comprehend what exactly this means. Can anyone explain what being in this percentile implies? Does it tell anything about my chances for more competitive colleges? Thanks everyone.

Hello! Congrats on scoring in the 98th percentile. That's a fantastic accomplishment and it means that you scored higher than 98% of all test takers in your cohort, which is truly impressive.

Keep in mind that while this is a strong result, admissions officers at more competitive colleges consider a variety of factors beyond just high scores. While it can improve your chances significantly, a high SAT score does not guarantee admission into a competitive college, especially highly selective ones.

When reviewing applications, the most competitive colleges look at grades, the rigor of the courses you've taken, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters, personal essays and other qualitative factors. Essentially, they are trying to get a sense of who you are as a person and what you could bring to their campus.

Having said that, a 98th percentile SAT score certainly strengthens the quantitative part of your application package. It signifies to colleges that you have the academic ability to succeed, and it definitely helps your application get that initial attention from the admissions officers.

Keep in mind that beginning spring 2024, the SAT is fully digital, so make sure your score is comparing the right version of the test. In the new digital version, you get about 71 seconds per Reading and Writing question and 96 seconds per Math question.

Stay focused on maintaining strong grades and involvement in your extracurricular activities. Those will complement your high SAT score well and could give you a superb chance at the schools you're aiming for. Good luck!