How much will my SAT scores impact my admission chances?Answered
The first time I took the SAT was in March of 2021, and I did not prepare enough for that, so I did very poorly and got an 1160. Then I took it again in August of 2021 and got a 1390. I should have stopped there looking back, but I wanted to try once more in October for superscoring purposes because I wanted to see if I could improve my math score , which is generally higher than my reading score, but I ended up doing much worse and got a 1260.
How greatly will this impact my admission chances? I know colleges consider the highest test score the most, but the fact that I did poorly twice is really freaking me out especially for competitive schools. The only school I plan on sending these to is Georgetown though because they are not test optional this year. I have to send all of them because they have an "all scores" policy.
My GPA is good (3.9 unweighted and 4.6 weighted)
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3 answers
After reading that the middle range of SAT scores for last year's EA at Georgetown was 1450/1560 or 33/35 ACT and that the average class rank for the 10.8% of successful admits was in the top 4.3%, I have to say those stats are intimidating for anyone.
What's it going to be like this year? My best guess is that it will be just as competitive or harder.
If you apply to GT with 1390, unless you have other hooks like being Black, Hispanic, or from another Marginalized background, I'm not sure how competitive an applicant you will be. Nearly 90% don't make it so it's as competitive as Columbia or Yale for early decision/SCREA.
If you are interested in these types of schools, I almost think it would be easier to get into Boston College or Notre Dame early versus GTown.
Good Luck.
Hi there @pkp152,
Thanks for your question! With a bunch of schools going test-optional and the general turbulence of the past year(s!) impacting standardized testing, this is a really common query that students have when applying to college as of late.
While the usual answer previously was to submit your score, even if it's slightly lower than your school's target accepted school, the large uptick in applications and increase competitiveness in admission requires a lot of thoughtfulness when crafting your application.
First, research the 25-50th percentile of SAT scores for your prospective schools. Then, compare your score against this range. If your score is significantly lower than the range (>50 points), you'll want to consider applying test-optional. This is especially true if you have good academic statistics, like GPA (which it seems you do), strong course rigor, and good test scores on things like AP/IB tests. These data points, if strong enough, reduce the need for additional proof of your academic strength (e.g. SAT scores).
For additional confidence in your decision, I'd check out our chancing engine, as you can see your chances both with and without sending a test to help you make your decision. Hope this helps and best of luck!
It really depends on the college. They have calculators to calculate your chances with and without scores. I found it very helpful. Your GPA is great.
Your chance of acceptance
Your chancing factors
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