How competitive is a 1020 SAT score?

Hey fellow applicants, I got a 1020 on my SAT, and I'm wondering how competitive that is for college admissions? Should I try to retake the test, or work on other parts of my application? Thanks for your advice!

A 1020 SAT score is generally considered to be slightly below average. The national average SAT score hovers around 1060, and a score above 1200 is usually seen as competitive for many colleges. That being said, there are still many colleges and universities that accept applicants with scores below the national average.

If you're aiming for more selective schools, it's definitely worth considering retaking the SAT to try and improve your score. You can also explore test-optional schools which may not require an SAT score for their application. However, keep in mind that these schools may place greater emphasis on other aspects of your application, such as your GPA, extracurricular activities, and essays. To get a clearer sense of the nuances of test-optional policies, check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-test-optional-mean-test-optional

Ultimately, the competitiveness of a 1020 SAT score depends on your target schools and your overall application. Research your school's middle 50% SAT scores to get an idea of the typical range for admitted students, and use that information, which can usually be found directly on a school's website, to determine whether or not you should retake the test or focus on other aspects of your application.

Remember, in addition to trying to improve your SAT score, it's important to focus on other parts of your application, like maintaining a strong GPA, being involved in meaningful extracurricular activities, and writing compelling essays that showcase your unique interests and experiences. Many schools take a holistic approach to reviewing applications, so your SAT score is just one aspect of your application that will be considered.

To get a clearer sense of how your overall application stacks up at the colleges you're considering, and whether retaking the SAT would make sense for you, I'd check out CollegeVine's free chancing engine, which accounts for all quantifiable elements of your application, including GPA, course rigor, extracurriculars, and test scores to give you personalized odds of acceptance at hundreds of colleges: https://www.collegevine.com/admissions-calculator/.

You can experiment with entering, for example, an 1100 into the engine to see how much of a difference that would make at your top-choice schools. If the difference is minimal, you'd likely be better off focusing on other aspects of your application. Good luck!