What SAT Score Does My Teen Need?

Pick your state and the colleges on your teen's list, and the tool gives a target SAT score: the middle of the admitted range at the most selective school you picked. Add a practice score and it shows the gap. It covers 224 colleges whose SAT ranges come from the schools' own published data, plus the scholarship score lines where a state has one.

How the target is set

Colleges publish a middle 50% SAT range: a quarter of the reported students scored below it and a quarter above. The middle of that range is a sensible first target. It puts a student squarely among the students a school admits. The top of the range is the stretch goal.

The ranges come from each school's own admissions profile or Common Data Set. Cohorts differ (admitted students at some schools, enrolled at others), so each state's full table shows the cohort and source next to every number.

Quick answers

What is a good SAT score?

A good score is one inside the range of the colleges your teen wants. A 1200 is strong for many state universities and below the range at the most selective ones, so the list decides the target, not a national average.

Does a score above the range guarantee admission?

No. Grades, coursework and the rest of the application still decide. A score at the top of the range makes the test a strength instead of a question.

How many points can a student realistically gain?

It depends on the starting point and the weeks available. Our students average a 172 point increase, which is why the gap number matters more than the target itself. The free Strategy Session turns that gap into a week by week plan.

What if a college is test optional?

The range still matters. Test optional schools publish the scores of students who sent them, and a score inside that range can still help an application and count toward scholarships.

Which range is your teen actually in?

Free Strategy Session, 45 to 60 minutes. Their score today, the target for their colleges, and the plan to close the gap. Yours to keep either way.

Book your free Strategy Session