What’s considered the cutoff for a “good” SAT score these days?

[Anonymous]

I have a rising 9th grader.

[Anonymous]

1350 is the new 1200.

[Anonymous]

Depends on goals. 1500 minimum for highly competitive

[Anonymous]

1400 to be respectable 1530 for top schools

[Anonymous]

For many top-end schools, a 1460 (or even under) may suffice, a 1500 may enhance, and a 1530+ may get extra attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1350 is the new 1200.

So is 1350/1400 as hard to get as it was in the 80s? Or is the scoring easier now?

-Former 1290 scorer who did a regular commercial prep class, attended a top 5 high school and top 20 college.

[Anonymous]

At TO schools, mid 1500s will get you merit aid.

[Anonymous]

Focus on GPA and taking rigorous courses. A 1600/36 will still have you well under a coin flip chance at any university that accepts less than 10%

[Anonymous]

Pre-covid, a 1500/34 was generally regarded as good enough for anywhere. I think that's more or less true today for the most selective colleges.

[Anonymous]

Why asking so early? Your kid won’t take for another 2-3 more yrs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pre-covid, a 1500/34 was generally regarded as good enough for anywhere. I think that's more or less true today for the most selective colleges.

+1
And the test is so much easier now compared to when we took it.

[Anonymous]

A few years ago, the MIT dean of admissions said not to bother retaking if above 1550. However, it's certainly true that elite schools do not consider that a lower bound.

[Anonymous]

My son got a 1380 and that is considered 92nd percentile nationally.

He had a 4.1 WGPA. Was still waitlisted at Virginia Tech and Clemson for business.

I think for competitive stem programs, you need at least a 1450 if you you’re going to submit it.

[Anonymous]

I realize there are other attributes but 1560 earned a waitlist at UVA and NEU and denials from Penn and Harvard for HS class of 23. Rigor (9 APs, 2 DE but NO Lang or Lit) and GPA (3.98/4.5-FCPS) are more important.

[Anonymous]

As others have said, it is a part of a larger portfolio of work, so hard to pin it down to a specific number. But I would look at the CDS for the schools you're interested in and aim for the 25th percentile score as the floor of what you want to aim for. If going for merit aid at not-as-competitive schools, aim for the 75th percentile or better. Higher is better, to a point, but there's also a point of diminishing returns. The time spent moving a 1520 to a 1560 would be better spent on making sure grades are as high as possible, or, if that's covered, working at a job, serving the community, becoming a better human, working out, etc.