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What are Respectable SAT or ACT Scores? …

July 1, 2010 Newsletter

How do I know if my SAT or ACT scores are good enough?

While courses and grades are the most significant factor in college admissions don’t think that standardized test scores are at all secondary, for they’re almost of equal importance. In information sessions you will most likely hear college admissions counselors tell you that they take a holistic approach in evaluating applicants and that your test scores should be in the 50% range of that school. But regardless of what they say, your scores can be a deciding factor in your admission.

Why are these scores so important? When colleges have to publicize their mean SAT’s / ACT’s, and US News and World Report uses these scores as one factor to rank schools, your scores can make all the difference in getting accepted to the college of your choice. More specifically, the critical reading and math portions of the SAT and the composite ACT scores account for 50% of the student selectivity for the entering class, and the student selectivity accounts for 15% in determining a college’s ranking.

The SAT is a three-part exam (Critical Reading, Math & Writing) and each part is scored on a scale from 200 (for bubbling in your name) to 800 (for a top score). For the high school class of 2010 the overall acceptance rates at the Ivy League Colleges ranged from 6.9% at Harvard University to 16.7% at Cornell University, and so it’s no wonder that every year dozens of applicants with 2400 SAT’s are rejected. (See our page on Ivy League Statistics for the Class of 2014.) Perfect SAT scores cannot guarantee admission at a highly selective institution if other parts of the candidate’s application are less than stellar. An outstanding academic record of rigorous courses, powerful essays, personal statements, significant extracurricular activities, solid letters of recommendation, and great interviews are additional factors that give admissions committees a holistic view of who you are.

To get a specific understanding of what a good SAT score is for you, first find out what the 25th to 75th percentile of SAT’s are for the colleges to which you’re applying. Obviously if your scores exceed the 75th percentile, you could have a good chance of being accepted, as long as you have demonstrated that you possess the other factors that make you an exceptional candidate.

Below are charts indicating the 25th to 75th percentile of SAT and ACT scores for the admitted students entering the freshman class of each Ivy League College in the fall of 2009. 1

Brown University


Students Submitting Scores Number Percent
SAT 1331 89%
ACT 487 33%
25th Percentile * 75th Percentile **
SAT Critical Reading 650 760
SAT Math 670 770
SAT Writing 670 770
ACT Composite 29 34
ACT English 29 35
ACT Math 28 34

 

Columbia University


Students Submitting Scores Number Percent
SAT 1320 97%
ACT 320 24%
25th Percentile * 75th Percentile **
SAT Critical Reading 680 770
SAT Math 680 780
SAT Writing 690 770
ACT Composite 29 34
ACT English 28 34
ACT Math 29 34
ACT Writing 8 10

 

Cornell University


Students Submitting Scores Number Percent
SAT 2987 94%
ACT 1075 34%
25th Percentile * 75th Percentile **
SAT Critical Reading 630 730
SAT Math 660 770
ACT Composite 29 34

 

Dartmouth College


Students Submitting Scores Number Percent
SAT 858 78%
ACT 236 22%
25th Percentile * 75th Percentile **
SAT Critical Reading 660 770
SAT Math 670 780
SAT Writing 670 770
ACT Composite 29 34

 

Harvard University


Students Submitting Scores Number Percent
SAT 1600 96%
ACT 482 29%
25th Percentile * 75th Percentile **
SAT Critical Reading 690 780
SAT Math 690 790
SAT Writing 690 780
ACT Composite 31 34
ACT English 32 35
ACT Math 31 35

 

University of Pennsylvania


Students Submitting Scores Number Percent
SAT 2207 90%
ACT 890 36%
25th Percentile * 75th Percentile **
SAT Critical Reading 660 750
SAT Math 690 780
SAT Writing 670 760
ACT Composite 30 34
ACT English 30 35
ACT Math 30 35

 

Princeton University


Students Submitting Scores Number Percent
SAT 1270 96%
ACT 328 25%
25th Percentile * 75th Percentile **
SAT Critical Reading 690 790
SAT Math 700 790
SAT Writing 700 780
ACT Composite 31 35
ACT English 32 35
ACT Math 31 35
ACT Writing 8 10

 

Yale University


Students Submitting Scores Number Percent
SAT 1218 92%
ACT 360 27%
25th Percentile * 75th Percentile **
SAT Critical Reading 700 800
SAT Math 700 780
SAT Writing 700 790
ACT Composite 30 34
ACT English 32 34
ACT Math 31 35

1 U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Retrieved June 15, 2010 from National Center for Education Statistics Website: http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator

Ivy Coach offers SAT & ACT Tutoring
In addition to our college consulting services, we also offer SAT, ACT, Subject Test and AP tutoring as well as GMAT, GRE, LSAT, SSAT and ISEE. Our experienced tutors are all graduates of highly selective colleges, experts in their field, and have been able to help our students achieve significant increases in their standardized test scores. Our tutor’s approach to test preparation is holistic, comprehensive, and targeted to boost the student’s areas of weakness.

Our tutors work with our students from across the country and around the world using cutting edge videoconferencing technology making tutoring sessions totally interactive. The student and the tutor can see each other and chat just as if they are sitting next to one another. The instructor can upload problems to a whiteboard that both the tutor and the student can write on so that problems can be solved together, in a step-by-step approach. USB tablets make scribbling out notes a breeze, whether solving an algebraic problem, or analyzing a reading passage. If a student or parent wants to review a session at a later time, all tutorials are recorded in real-time and stored so that they can be easily accessed.

If you’re a sophomore, you may want to begin SAT or ACT tutoring in July prior to your junior year.

If you’re a junior, plan on taking SAT’s in January and March, Subject Tests in May and/or June, and ACT’s in February, April and/or June. The summer prior to your senior year may be your last chance to improve your scores before the October or November SAT’s or Subject Tests or the September or October ACT’s.

For more information about how Ivy Coach tutors can improve your test scores complete our Free Consultation Form.

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