SAT score of 1430, where am I standing?

Hi, I took my SATs recently and ended up with a score of 1430. I'm not sure what this means in terms of college applications. Can someone help me understand where this score places me among applicants?

Let's break down what your score of 1430 means in terms of college applications. The SAT score range is 400-1600, so your score is above average. According to the College Board, a score of 1430 ranks approximately in the 94th percentile which means you scored higher than an estimated 94% of test-takers.

To understand how this score can impact your college applications, you need to look closer at the middle 50% range of SAT scores at your target colleges. The middle 50% range gives a more accurate picture of what SAT scores a school's admitted students have, as it removes the highest and lowest scores. If your score falls within or above this range at a particular college, you'll know that your SAT score is competitive for that school.

Let's take an example. For the University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW Madison), one of the schools that is still test-optional, the middle 50% SAT scores for recently admitted students were roughly 1300-1450. Your score of 1430 places you towards the upper end of this range, which signifies you're academically well-prepared for UW Madison based on your test score.

However, it's important to remember that even though scores can be an important part of your application, they aren't everything. Colleges look at many components when evaluating applications, such as your grade point average (GPA), course rigor, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and personal essays.

So, while your SAT score is a strong one, make sure to spend ample time on the other components of your application as well!