What is a good SAT score?

 Do you know what a good score is?

Based on 2010-2011 Scores

Everyone wants to know what a good SAT score is. Is 1800 good? is 1980 good? Is 2200 good? The answer is yes, each of these scores has the potential to be good. (Although, you can never go wrong with a 2200.) What people really want to know is how does their score stack up against the scores of other students who are applying to the same schools. An 1850 might be very good at one school but it will not help you get accepted into Harvard. Another thing to consider is that SAT scores are not everything. Although it is easy for colleges to compare numbers, activities outside of school and grades are just as, if not more important. All of these things are important in admission, so a high GPA can compensate for slightly lower than average score. Do not lose hope just because your SAT scores are a little low, you never  know who colleges will accept. You might have something extraordinary that all of the brainiacs with 2330's don't. There is a college for everyone, so don't fret. To see the college rankings for 2011 click here.  Here is a list of some colleges and their average SAT scores, so that you can see the type of schools within your range.

What is a good SAT Score?   Source: Flickr butz.2013

Harvard:   2070- 2350

SAT Critical Reading: 690 / 780

SAT Math: 690 / 790

SAT Writing: 690 / 780

Columbia University:  2050 - 2320

SAT Critical Reading: 680 / 770

SAT Math: 680 / 780

SAT Writing: 690 / 770

Georgetown University:   1880-2190

SAT Critical Reading: 620 / 730

SAT Math: 630 / 730

SAT Writing: 630/ 730

New York University  (NYU):  1830- 2140

SAT Critical Reading: 610 / 710

SAT Math: 600 / 720

 SAT Writing: 620 / 710

University of California: Los Angeles  (UCLA):   1730- 2100

SAT Critical Reading: 560 / 680

SAT Math: 590 / 720

SAT Writing: 580 / 700

 University of Wisconsin:  1740- 2070

SAT Critical Reading: 550 / 670

SAT Math: 620 / 730

SAT Writing: 570 / 670

Pepperdine University:  1680- 2000

SAT Critical Reading: 560 / 660

SAT Math: 560 / 680

SAT Writing: 560/ 660

University of Texas:  1630- 2010

SAT Critical Reading: 530 / 660

SAT Math: 570 / 690

SAT Writing: 530 / 660

These are just a handful of college SAT scores to give you an idea of what a good score is for some particular colleges. Obviously if you want to go to Yale, or any of the Ivy league, a 1800 just isn't going to cut it. The great thing about living in America is that there are plenty of other colleges where a 1800 is AMAZING! Something important to keep in the back of your mind is that the national SAT average is about 1500, so anything above 1500 is considered above average and worthy of a good college.

What is a good SAT score?: Stockvault

In my personal opinion I break down the scores into a few brackets. 2200 and above is Stanford and top Ivy league worthy. 2050 to 2200 is the bottom of the Ivy league and the colleges just below Ivy. These colleges might be Dartmouth, Georgetown, Pomona, John Hopkins, etc... (Note, Dartmouth is an IVY, I just place it in this lower category because it is easier to get into than Yale, Harvard, and the other top tier IVYs.) 1900 to 2050 is just below with colleges like UCLA, NYU, and the likes. Then every 150 points or so is a different bracket. This is by no means a set guideline and there are always exceptions, but this is a rough outline. The most important thing to remember is that your scores are as good or as bad as you want them to be. If you have hopes to attend Columbia, then you need to study and keep testing until you score what you want. If you are happy with your scores, then great for you, otherwise keep studying. 

If you want to improve your SAT scores even more, then you definitely need to read some SAT books. They are worth the read. However, scores are not everything. A low SAT score is not the end of the world. Live life and enjoy every day.

If you want to score higher, make sure to read the SAT and ACT secret guide.

Scores came from a combination of the official college sites, collegeboard.com, and about.com.