What’s an Acceptable SAT Score for College Admissions?

College-bound students often wonder what SAT score they need to reach their goals.  The answer is that it varies greatly.  It depends on the student’s aspirations and the competition from their peers.

 

Students should make a list of their colleges of choice, and then look up the “middle 50” range of SAT scores.  This information is included in the Best Colleges guide by U.S. News & World Report.  At Princeton University, for example, the 25/75 percentile SAT scores are listed as 1460-1570.  At Stevens Institute of Technology its 1370-1510, at Rutgers-New Brunswick its 1240-1470, and at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) its 1180-1430.

 

Students who not only want to gain acceptance but also be awarded scholarship money should aim for the upper portion of that range or exceed it.

In addition to competing with applicants from throughout the state, country, and sometimes, the world, students are particularly in competition with their high school peers.  Colleges seek a well-rounded student body representing a broad geographic area.  So, if a large number of students from the same high school seek admission, they compare the students with each other and often admit only those at the top.  

 

If offered at their high school, students can log into Naviance, a software program utilized by more than 7 million students which tracks the SAT scores and GPA of accepted students to the majority of colleges.  Some high schools use Scoir for the same purpose.  Students can view the SAT scores earned by their peers to track which ones were accepted or rejected by the colleges of interest.

 

Statewide, the average SAT score for New Jersey students is 1117, out of a possible 1600.  But statistics from NJ.com reflect that the numbers tend to be much higher at many Central New Jersey high schools.  For example, the average SAT score for students attending Princeton High School is listed as 1334, Montgomery High School is 1327, Bridgewater-Raritan High School is 1258, and Hillsborough High School is 1249.

 

Of course, other factors also come into play when it comes to college admissions.  These include GPA, rigor of courses, AP scores, athletic potential, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, strength of recommendation letters, legacy status, and position of being a first-generation student to be seeking a college education.

 

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT^® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362