1230 SAT score - is it good enough?

Hey everyone! I scored 1230 on the SAT, and I'm wondering if it's considered a good score for college admissions. Should I be satisfied with this score, or should I try to retake the exam and aim for a higher score?

A 1230 SAT score is considered to be above average, as it falls within the 75th percentile of test-takers. However, whether this score is good enough depends on the colleges you're targeting and their average accepted SAT scores.

For example, if you're aiming for more competitive, highly-ranked universities, it might be beneficial to consider retaking the exam to improve your score. Many selective schools have average accepted SAT scores well above 1300, or even higher if you're talking about the most selective schools out there.

On the other hand, if you're targeting less selective or state universities, a 1230 SAT score might be perfectly adequate, as many schools have average accepted scores in the 1100-1200 range.

It's best to research the average accepted SAT scores at the schools you're interested in and gauge whether your score is competitive enough. If you find your score is on the lower end of that range, or if you're aiming for more selective schools, then retaking the SAT might be a good idea.

It is important to remember that colleges look at more than just SAT scores when evaluating applicants. They take a holistic approach, considering academic performance (GPA, course rigor), extracurricular activities, personal essays, and recommendation letters.

If you want to get a sense of how your overall profile stacks up at a particular school, I'd recommend using CollegeVine's free chancing engine, which accounts for all quantifiable aspects of your application, including test scores, GPA, course rigor, and extracurriculars, to provide you with personalized odds of acceptance at hundreds of colleges around the country: https://www.collegevine.com/admissions-calculator/. This tool also gives suggestions on how to improve your chances, whether by raising your SAT score or something else, like earning a leadership position in one of your extracurricular activities.

Keep in mind that taking practice tests and working with study materials, such as the Official SAT Study Guide or the Khan Academy SAT Prep resources, can help you improve your score if you decide to retake the exam. CollegeVine's blog also contains a range of test-prep focused posts, which are available for free. You can check out one post you might find useful here: https://blog.collegevine.com/10-tips-to-improve-your-sat-score/

Good luck!