Do SAT Scores Still Matter for College Admissions?

The role of the SAT in college admissions has been a topic of much discussion, especially in recent years. Once considered a crucial factor, its importance has evolved, with many colleges adopting test-optional policies. However, understanding the nuances of how SAT scores are viewed remains essential for prospective students. This article explores the continuing significance of SAT scores, considering various factors such as college selectivity, scholarship opportunities, and even professional prospects.

The Enduring Influence of the SAT

When I first took the SAT around 20 years ago, I had no idea where that test would take me. And I’ll be honest, my first attempt was not spectacular! I had to put in a lot of effort to raise that score from average to perfect, which opened doors beyond anything I imagined. Now, that score didn’t get me through those doors- that was the result of hard work and dedication. But it was the key to so many opportunities, and I’m here to tell you today: your SAT scores matter. While some argue that the SAT is becoming obsolete, it's clear that it still holds weight in various aspects of a student's academic and professional journey. The SAT continues to influence academic, financial, and even professional outcomes long after high school graduation.

Strengthening College Applications

A strong SAT score can strengthen a college application by offering a consistent metric that schools use to compare students across the country. Since high school grading systems vary, standardized test scores can help admissions officers evaluate a student’s academic readiness in a more uniform way. Even colleges that have adopted test-optional policies still take SAT scores into consideration if submitted. If you’re a strong test-taker, sending your scores can work in your favor.

Test-Optional Policies: What They Mean

Many institutions changed their policies regarding standardized tests, such as the SAT, beginning mid-2020 with the onset of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. For those students planning on attending college in the fall of 2023, more than 1,750 four-year universities will continue making standardized test scores an optional part of their application, according to the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, commonly known as FairTest. An additional 85 schools will go even farther than being test-optional and will be test-blind, meaning that a student's standardized test score will not be considered even if it is submitted as part of their application. The eight universities that make up the Ivy League (Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University) have committed to remaining test-optional through the high school class of 2024. Johns Hopkins University has pledged to be test-optional through the 2025-2026 application year, while Stanford University announced that they would remain test-optional through the 2023-2024 application cycle.

Test optional is a policy that many colleges have introduced to provide more flexibility and choice in the admissions process. Recent research shows that on average, close to 50% of applications include test scores. Many colleges with test-optional policies still encourage students to submit their scores, but they don't require all students to do so for admission. Students can and should make the decision that will best help their admission chances. For many students who take the SAT, sending scores will strengthen their application. Understanding test-optional policies can help you make informed decisions about whether to take the SAT, the ACT®, or both and when to submit test scores.

Read also: How to Get Old SAT Scores

If a college or university has a test-optional admissions policy, that means that most applicants can choose whether to submit their SAT or ACT scores with their application. It doesn’t mean that schools aren’t interested in seeing all applicants’ test scores-but if you choose not to submit your scores, it won’t be counted against you in the application review.

Variations in Test Policies

Here are some possible variations in test score policies:

Test-optional admissions policy for all: The college allows all applicants to decide for themselves whether to submit test scores.
Test-optional admissions policy for some: At some colleges, if your GPA or class rank meets the minimum requirements, you can decide not to submit SAT or ACT scores. Some colleges require certain applicants, like homeschooled or international students, to submit scores, regardless of GPA. And some colleges require test scores for students applying for specific programs or majors such as Nursing, Engineering, and other STEM-intensive majors, or programs that combine a bachelor’s and master’s degree.
Test flexible: You may be able to take a test other than the SAT or ACT, such as AP Exams, to meet the school’s requirements for admission.
Test blind: The college won't look at test scores for admission even if they are submitted.
Test optional/Test blind for admissions, but required for enrollment: A growing number of colleges that are test optional or test blind for admissions require or consider SAT or ACT scores for other uses, such as scholarships, course placement, and academic counseling. Many colleges with test-optional policies for admission require or request test scores upon enrollment, to use for advising or research purposes.

The most important point is that policies vary widely. Be sure to read each college’s policy carefully so you understand what you need to do to qualify for admission, scholarships, financial aid, etc. Also keep in mind that colleges that were test optional last year may be going back to requiring tests. Review a complete list of colleges that require SAT or ACT scores for admissions.

Making Your Application Stand Out

Even if you think standardized tests aren’t your biggest strength, there are some good reasons to take them:

You’ll keep your options open.
You’ll stand out among the applicants. If you get the score you hope for, and especially if it’s above average for the college, submitting your SAT score can help you in the admissions process. And keep in mind that colleges consider test scores in the context of everything else in your application.
You could get more than just admission. At some colleges, SAT/ACT scores are still considered or required for certain scholarships. If you don’t take either of these tests, you take yourself out of the running for hundreds of thousands of dollars that could make college more affordable.
A high SAT score can provide information beyond GPA. If you don’t take the SAT, colleges will have less information about your academic performance. If you have a low GPA but do well on the SAT, you’re letting colleges know you have the potential to succeed in college-level classes.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Opportunities

SAT scores often play a role in financial aid decisions. Many colleges offer merit-based scholarships to students who meet or exceed certain score thresholds. These awards can reduce tuition costs significantly and sometimes even cover full tuition. Private scholarship organizations also look at standardized test scores when selecting recipients. Some awards require a minimum score to apply, while others weigh test scores alongside essays, recommendations, and extracurricular involvement.

Read also: ACT Scores for Loyola

The SAT in the Professional World

What many students don’t realize is that SAT scores can follow them into the professional world. Some companies, especially in finance, consulting, or tech, ask for SAT scores during the hiring process. This tends to happen more often if you didn’t attend a school that the company regularly recruits from. High test scores can help show that you’re capable of handling a fast-paced and intellectually demanding job. It signals discipline, focus, and analytical skill, which are all qualities that employers value even if you haven’t graduated from a top 10 college.

The truth is, where you went to college still matters in many industries. Top firms in tech, finance, and consulting often focus their recruitment on a small group of elite institutions. If you didn’t attend one of those schools, you might be overlooked based on name recognition alone. However, a strong SAT score can help you get noticed anyway. In fields like banking or corporate law, where new hires are expected to think quickly and perform under pressure, some recruiters still consider test scores even years after graduation.

SAT scores can come into play again during internship applications, particularly for students who don’t yet have a lot of experience on their resumes. Companies that receive large volumes of applicants may use SAT scores as part of their screening process. Even if your college GPA is strong, having an SAT score to back it up adds another layer to your application.

Non-Traditional Paths and the SAT

Some students start at one college and transfer to another after a year or two. Others take time off before enrolling. In both cases, SAT scores may come back into play. Transfer applications sometimes require test scores if the applicant hasn’t completed a certain number of college credits. Students returning to school after time away may also be asked to submit SAT results, especially if they haven’t taken college classes in several years. Treating the SAT as a one-time test that fades into the background doesn’t always match reality. If you anticipate taking a non-traditional path, keeping a strong score on file can provide added flexibility later on.

Understanding Competitive Scores

A major part of using your SAT score to your advantage is understanding what makes a score competitive in the first place. A “good” score depends on your goals. For highly selective colleges, scores in the 1400s or higher may be expected. For regional schools or less selective institutions, a lower score might still place you well above the average. It’s also helpful to know how your score compares nationally. If you’re in the top 10 or 20 percent of test-takers, that means you’re performing better than the majority of students across the country.

Based on the most recently available data, the following are 2021 SAT score ranges for some of the most prestigious universities in the United States, with the first score representing the 25th percentile and the second score representing the 75th percentile:

Brown University: 1480-1560
Columbia University: 1510-1560
Cornell University: 1450-1540
Dartmouth College: 1440-1560
Harvard University: 1460-1580
Princeton University: 1450-1570
University of Pennsylvania: 1490-1560
Yale University: 1460-1580

The average middle 50% of SAT scores across the Ivy League universities fell in the range of 1468-1564. Georgia Tech reported an average 2022 composite or total SAT score of 1465. The average Math section score was 750, and the average Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section score was 715. The University of California at Berkeley, commonly referred to as “UC Berkeley” reported an average 2022 composite or total SAT score of 1415. The average Math section score was 725, and the average Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section score was 690. The University of Virginia reported an average 2022 SAT composite or total SAT score of 1430. The university reported the middle 50% range for SAT scores, with Math section scores falling in the range of 710-790 and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section scores falling in the range of 690-750.

Strategies for Improvement

Whether your score is already high or you’re aiming to boost it, having a strategy matters. Improvement comes from more than just taking practice tests. It involves understanding your mistakes, learning how to manage time effectively, and mastering question types that consistently trip you up. That’s where quality prep courses come in. Working with experienced instructors who understand the test inside and out can make a big difference. You’ll learn techniques that go beyond just memorizing content; you’ll build habits that improve your performance under pressure.

Holistic Review and Other Factors

Colleges consider a number of factors when deciding which students to accept, including grade point average, high school courses taken, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters, and scores on standardized tests such as the SAT. There is a great deal of variety in the level of importance given to the SAT across the college admissions process. Some schools regard the test as a very significant component of the application, while others de-emphasize standardized tests through test-optional policies.

Even at schools that weigh SAT scores, they are not the most important factor. Almost all colleges give the most weight to a student’s GPA, the strength of the school’s curriculum, and the rigor of the student’s course load (if a student has a 4.0, but didn’t take any hard classes, that GPA doesn’t help nearly as much as it does if they’ve taken the hardest courses available to them, even if they got lower grades). Letters of recommendation (from teachers and school counselors) and essays also tend to be given a good amount of weight in the application process. Test scores can fall above or below letters and essays, varying from school to school (though in general, more schools give considerable importance to test scores than to essays or recommendations).

The PSAT and AP Tests

The PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is used to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. As such, it’s useful for students to spend some time doing test prep, whether free or paid. In general, AP test scores won’t make or break whether a student gets into a college. That said, high scores can help, in particular for the most selective colleges, since applicants to such schools tend to have stellar grades, test scores, etc.

Considerations for Students with Unique Circumstances

If student A comes from a school that does not offer APs, so A only has GPA, but colleges might not know how smart student A is even if he or she gets a 3.9 GPA. so they compare her or his SAT score. If you have APs, SAT is not a big deal, and yes, the significance has been decreasing. A high SAT score will not give you a boost if your GPA is low(GPAs are much more important than SAT scores, from recent observations). ill advise you to not submit 1420 if it is a test-optional school. It'll definitely hurt your application (for top schools).

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