What is a good SAT score?

One of the most common questions we are asked by parents and students is, “So, what is a good SAT score?”

It’s a natural question! When parents don’t have a good point of reference, they struggle to define a “good” SAT score in their own head.

It really depends on your goals for college acceptances and scholarship applications.

We get this question every day, so we hope you find this article helpful and interesting!

So, what is a good SAT score in a tutor’s eyes?

There’s a range of “good” SAT scores, so our advice is to start at the beginning:

A 2400 is a perfect SAT score.

A 1500 is the national average SAT score.

A 600 is the lowest possible score.

A 2000+ SAT score is elite college territory.

Also, a 2000+ opens up elite doors in Ivy Leagues, full-ride scholarships, and top universities. Therefore many high-paid consultants, medical doctors, top lawyers, financial professionals, executive management and similar well-respected positions often have high school SAT scores over 2000 points. These are very difficult scores to get and often take months of practice for even the smartest students to achieve.

Below a 1300, it’s probably a good idea to get some SAT prep tutoring started ASAP.

Again, 1500+ is above average; therefore most people would rate it a “good” score.

To most tutors’ eyes, an 1800+ is a “very good” SAT score.

2100+ is a “great” SAT score.

2300+ is an “unbelievable” SAT score!!

Is there such a thing as a “Bad” SAT score?

First of all, we really, really, really don’t believe in “bad scores.”

It’s just a matter of starting at the beginning. In fact, students who start with the lowest scores, often gain the most points (if they do all the homework!!)

Since a 1500 SAT score is the national average, it’s probably best to be at least above a 1500 to remain a competitive student in the college application process.

So I’m not going to call an SAT score below 1500 “bad,” because it’s just a starting place for prep, but if your score is below a 1500 you probably need to take some urgent action to remain competitive for college.

But what if I’m nowhere near those SAT scores!?

Don’t worry. There are ways to study and practice that can help you raise those scores so much. It all depends on how much you’re willing to put in.

SAT prep really can work wonders and by improving your college odds it actually has a HUGE payoff as an investment - because by gaining a couple hundred points and moving up the ladder of colleges, new career options open up for students with “good” SAT scores.

Make the SAT test serve your purposes:

To make your life easier, keep in mind the ultimate purpose of the SAT.

SAT scores get us into college. College helps us launch our careers. But really it’s the good life you’re after. Whether it’s for you, or your kids, that’s what we all want.

Focus on how SAT scores fit into the good life you’re imagining. Not every student needs scores above 2100, just like not every student needs to get a PhD.

Set specific long-term targets for life happiness and fulfillment, then work backwards to SAT scores. How does SAT prep fit into your big picture for happiness?

That, my friends, is how we decide what a “good” SAT score really is.

As long as you take action to prepare, it’s going to be A-OK!

Here’s an important note: we don’t want you to worry about SAT scores. Stress and worry are counterproductive to your goal of improving.

The solution to score-based worry is action: taking specific steps to get quantifiable, measurable improvements. That’s one great thing about SAT scores - you can tell if you’re getting better or worse depending whether your numbers go up or down! 🙂

We believe in you, and as long as students take real action to focus on your weaker points, we’re here to tell you that they can see great results in their confidence and scores.

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Additional Resources: “Winning College Scholarships for High Schoolers” Video Course