SAT score of 800, good or bad?

Hey folks! I got an 800 on the SAT and I'm not sure if it's a good or bad score. Can anyone give me some perspective on this and whether it's good enough for top-tier colleges? Is it a good enough score or should I consider retaking? Appreciate your help!

An 800 on the SAT is not a competitive score for top-tier colleges, as these schools typically have average scores in the 1400-1500+ range. If you're aiming for the most selective schools, I highly recommend retaking the SAT to try and improve your score significantly. Resources like the College Board's official practice tests, Khan Academy's free online SAT preparation, and study guides can help boost your performance.

You should also look into your target colleges' specific SAT score ranges, which can often be found on their admissions websites or college search tools like CollegeVine, to see where your score falls relative to admitted students. You'll want to have a clear sense of what you need to aim for before you buckle down and start studying.

However, boosting your SAT score by 600-700 points may not be feasible. If you aren't able to get your score into a competitive range, consider expanding your college list to include less selective schools. The right fit for you isn't necessarily the top-ranked school, as you want to be sure you're in an environment where you can thrive and grow, rather than feel overwhelmed.

Alternatively, if the rest of your profile is highly competitive for these kinds of schools, you might consider applying test-optional. At the most selective schools, you generally do still want to submit a test score, even if the institution is officially test-optional, but there are exceptions. You can read more about how to navigate test-optional policies on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-test-optional-mean-test-optional/.

Good luck with your preparation and college applications!