You want to CRUSH the SAT Math section, I get it.
But it’s probably good to know what is considered a “good” SAT Math score, right?
OF COURSE a good SAT Math score can vary depending on your goals and the colleges you’re interested in, but generally:
- Average Score: The average SAT Math score is around 530 out of 800. If you score around this, you’re doing better than half of the test-takers.
- Competitive Score: A score of 600-700 is considered strong and will make you a competitive applicant at many colleges.
- Top Score: If you’re aiming for highly selective schools, a score of 700 or above is excellent.
To figure out what a good SAT score is compared to others, it’s important to understand how SAT scoring works.
Your overall SAT Math score out of 800 is linked to a “percentile ranking” (super BORING concept).
This percentile shows how you performed relative to other students. For instance, if you scored in the 60th percentile, it means you did better than 60% of all the students who took the test.
But what’s a Good SAT Score for You?
We’ve talked about how your SAT score and percentile ranking show how you compare to other test-takers, but what’s most important is what a good SAT score means for you personally, especially based on the colleges you’re interested in.
For instance, 50% of students admitted to Rutgers University score between 570 and 790 on the math section of the SAT, with 25% scoring below 570 and 25% scoring above 790.
However, this score would be considered low for highly selective schools like MIT, Princeton, Duke, the University of Chicago, and Johns Hopkins.
Not everyone aims for highly selective colleges, which is totally fine!
In summary, a good SAT score is one that makes you competitive for the schools you want to attend.
But remember!
Higher test scores can increase your chances of getting merit scholarships (awesome) from colleges.
And lastly, a high SAT score can sometimes compensate for a lower GPA when applying to certain schools.
So if you spent a lot of time derping around in class, instead of paying attention to the teacher (how dare you), your SAT Math score can still save you.
But you really should pay attention in class!
Bye for now.