Do colleges still look at SAT® scores? Yes, they do! Most top colleges and Ivy League schools consider SAT scores as part of their admissions criteria, along with high school GPA, extracurricular activities, and personal essays. Below, we’ll provide tips to help you choose the perfect college and a list of SAT admission scores for the top 25 US colleges. Keep this list handy even if you’re taking the Digital SAT in 2023 and 2024!
Why Do Top Colleges and Ivy League Schools Ask for SAT scores?
Let’s explore why Ivy League schools and prestigious colleges consider SAT scores:
How do colleges review your applications?
After you submit your college application package, the preliminary screening involves colleges assessing it for completeness. Most colleges require your application form, SAT (or the new Digital SAT) score, school transcript, personal statement essay, and letters of recommendation. After your application clears this stage, a couple of steps follow:
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Admissions committee clearance:
An admissions committee reviews your application package after the pre-screening. This committee can include admissions officers, faculty members, and sometimes current students who discuss the applicant’s academic credibility and decide whether to admit the student. Numerous colleges use a holistic approach, considering extracurricular activities, community volunteering, and any unique accomplishments in addition to your previous academic record.
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Notification:
The student receives notification of the outcome based on the admissions committee’s decision. This notification will include whether the student has been accepted into the college and may also include information on financial aid (provided the student submitted a FAFSA form).
How much weight do SAT scores carry in college admissions?
The significance attributed to SAT scores in the college admissions process can vary depending on the specific college or university and its admissions policies. Certain institutions emphasize standardized test scores, including the SAT (or Digital SAT), and academic performance. In contrast, others adopt a more holistic approach and consider multiple factors beyond test scores and grades. A subpar SAT score can undermine your prospects of being accepted into highly competitive institutions. The pointers below will help you understand how your SAT scores factor into college admissions and the requirements of SAT admission scores for colleges:
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What kind of college are you applying to?
Every school has its own SAT score requirements for admission. An institution’s level of selectivity relates to how your SAT score factors into the admissions process. Let’s first understand the selectivity of colleges based on their acceptance rate:
- Highly selective colleges: With an acceptance rate below 20 %
- Selective: With an acceptance rate of 20–30%
- Moderately selective: With an acceptance rate of 30–50%
- Less selective colleges: Have the highest acceptance rates, from 50–100%
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What major or field of study are you intending to pursue at a highly selective or selective institution?
Elite colleges have varying standards across majors. Some prestigious institutions provide advanced math and science courses, and students aspiring to STEM disciplines particularly favor these colleges, like MIT or Cal Tech. Other universities, such as Harvard and Yale, boast remarkable academic achievements in the arts and humanities. In such cases, SAT/Digital SAT scores may factor more heavily in the admissions process for the most sought-after majors than the less popular ones to help distinguish between qualified candidates.
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Are you opting for an impacted major at a moderately or less selective college?
Similar to gaining admission to highly selective colleges, entry into impacted majors at other schools can hinge on a tiny margin of only 1 point in the SAT score. An impacted major refers to a field of study for which the college receives more eligible applications than it can accommodate. In such cases, they have to dissect each application and choose “the best from the best”, and every component of the application, including your SAT or Digital SAT score, is evaluated thoroughly.
It’s important to note that while most colleges and universities look at your SAT scores when deciding admissions, they are typically just one of many factors considered. Admissions officers will likely also consider a student’s GPA, extracurricular activities, essays, letters of recommendation, and other factors when making admissions decisions. If you are not confident in your SAT score, you may still be able to improve your chances of being accepted by highlighting your strengths in other areas, such as extracurricular activities, community service, or work experience.
Ultimately, the weight of SAT scores will depend on the individual college or university and its admissions policies. It’s important for students to research the admissions policies of the colleges they are interested in to determine how much weight is given to SAT scores in their admissions decisions.
How to Determine Your Target SAT Score
The following factors will help you determine your SAT target score:
- Shortlist colleges you wish to apply to and check out their average SAT score ranges. This approach will help you understand what score will make you a competitive applicant.
- You can also determine the level of selectivity of your preferred colleges by examining the SAT scores of the 75%, 50%, and 25% of students admitted to the most recent class.
- Plan your college majors in advance and search for specific details regarding SAT section scores. Doing so will enable you to determine the target scores you aim to achieve for the EBRW and Math sections.
Colleges That Require SAT Scores
While top colleges do not exclusively rely on a student’s SAT (or Digital SAT) scores, a high score can give you a competitive advantage over other applicants. If you are considering applying to the Ivy Leagues and top 25 colleges, refer to the tables below for the typical SAT scores of incoming students in 2022-23:
List of Ivy League schools and their SAT score prerequisites
School | SAT Score Range | ||
Total | EBRW | Math | |
Brown University | 1440 – 1570 | 700 – 770 | 740 – 800 |
Columbia University | 1450 – 1570 | 720 – 770 | 750 – 800 |
Cornell University | 1400 – 1560 | 680 – 760 | 720 – 800 |
Dartmouth College | 1500 – 1560 | 710 – 770 | 730 – 790 |
Harvard University | 1470 – 1600 | 740 – 780 | 730 – 800 |
University of Pennsylvania | 1510 – 1560 | 720 – 770 | 760 – 800 |
Princeton University | 1460 – 1580 | 730 – 780 | 760 – 800 |
Yale University | 1500 – 1600 | 720 – 780 | 740 – 800 |
List of top 25 schools and their SAT score prerequisites
School | SAT Score Range | ||||
Total | EBRW | Math | |||
1. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 1510 – 1580 | 730 – 780 | 790 – 800 | |
2. | Stanford University | 1440 – 1570 | 700 – 770 | 740 – 800 | |
3. | University of Chicago | 1500 – 1570 | 730 – 770 | 770 – 800 | |
4. | Johns Hopkins University | 1460 – 1560 | 710 – 760 | 750 – 800 | |
5. | California Institute of Technology | 1530 – 1560 | 740 – 760 | 790 – 800 | |
6. | Duke University | 1480 – 1570 | 720 – 770 | 760 – 800 | |
7. | Northwestern University | 1440 – 1550 | 740 – 790 | 700 – 760 | |
8. | Vanderbilt University | 1480 – 1570 | 720 – 770 | 760 – 800 | |
9. | Rice University | 1470 – 1570 | 720 – 770 | 750 – 800 | |
10. | Washington University in St. Louis | 1490 – 1570 | 730 – 770 | 760 – 800 | |
11. | University of Notre Dame | 1400 – 1550 | 680 – 760 | 720 – 790 | |
12. | University of California, Berkeley | 1330 – 1530 | 650 – 740 | 680 – 790 | |
13. | University of California, Los Angeles | 1300 – 1530 | 650 – 740 | 650 – 790 | |
14. | Carnegie Mellon University | 1460 – 1560 | 700 – 760 | 760 – 800 | |
15. | Emory University | 1360 – 1530 | 670 – 740 | 690 – 790 | |
16. | Georgetown University | 1380 – 1550 | 690 – 760 | 690 – 790 | |
17. | New York University | 1350 – 1530 | 660 – 740 | 690 – 790 | |
18. | University of Michigan–Ann Arbor | 1350 – 1530 | 670 – 750 | 680 – 780 | |
19. | University of Southern California | 1360 – 1530 | 670 – 740 | 690 – 790 | |
20. | University of Virginia | 1340 – 1520 | 670 – 740 | 670 – 780 | |
21. | University of Florida | 1310 – 1470 | 650 – 720 | 660 – 750 | |
22. | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 1310 – 1500 | 650 – 730 | 660 – 770 | |
23. | Wake Forest University | 1350 – 1500 | 650 – 710 | 660 – 760 | |
24. | Tufts University | 1390 – 1540 | 680 – 750 | 710 – 790 | |
25. | University of California, Santa Barbara | 1330 – 1530 | 650 – 740 | 680 – 790 |
Source: 2022-2023 Best National Universities | US News Rankings
Know if your dream college is test-optional or SAT-mandatory
For the 2023–2024 admission cycle, all Ivy League schools and almost all top 25 schools have switched to test-optional or test-flexible admissions policies, which allow applicants to choose whether or not to submit SAT scores as part of their application. Explore what your dream school requires using the below lists.
College | SAT Policy |
Brown University | Test-Optional for 2023 |
Columbia University | Test-Optional for 2023 and 2024 |
Cornell University | Test-Optional for 2023 and 2024 |
Dartmouth College | Test-Optional for 2023 |
Harvard University | Test-Optional for 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 |
University of Pennsylvania | Test-Optional for 2023 |
Princeton University | Test-Optional for 2023 |
Yale University | Test-Optional for 2023 |
College | SAT Policy |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Mandatory |
Stanford University | Test-Optional for 2023 |
University of Chicago | Test-Optional |
Johns Hopkins University | Test-Optional for 2023 - 2026 |
California Institute of Technology | Test-Optional for 2023 |
Duke University | Test-Optional for 2023 |
Northwestern University | Test-Optional for 2023 |
Vanderbilt University | Test-Optional for 2023 - 2024 |
Rice University | Test-Optional for 2023 |
Washington University in St. Louis | Test-Optional for 2023 - 2024 |
University of Notre Dame | Test-Optional for 2023 |
University of California, Berkeley | Test-Optional |
University of California, Los Angeles | Test-Optional |
Carnegie Mellon University | Test-Optional for 2023 |
Emory University | Test-Optional for 2023 |
Georgetown University | Mandatory |
New York University | Test-Optional for 2023 - 2024 |
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor | Test-Optional for 2023 - 2024 |
University of Southern California | Test-Optional for 2023 |
University of Virginia | Test-Optional for 2023 |
University of Florida | Mandatory |
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | Mandatory |
Wake Forest University | Test-Optional |
Tufts University | Test-Optional for 2023 |
University of California, Santa Barbara | Test-Optional |