Is a 1700 good for the SAT? Is a 2050 good? What about an 1870? A 2300 on the SAT has to be good right? Is an ACT score of 23 good? Is a 27 good for the ACT? What about scores for the SAT II? Is a 650 good? -Well the answer to all of these questions is yes and no. (Either way, it is useful to know some 2013 test score averages which can be found below.)
If you didn’t know, how important standardized tests are for college applications, now you do. Test scores separate the boys and girls from men and women.
SAT, ACT, AP, IB, and SAT II scores are all objective measures that colleges and universities can use to evaluate applicants and make initial decisions of who meets basic standards. These scores are then combined with other factors like GPA on a 4.0 scale, difficulty of classes, class rank, and national awards in order find the best applicants out of the thousands who apply.
Finally, subjective parts of the application, like essays and letters of recommendation, are used to find the best of the best. It is a lengthy process that breaks many hearts, but there are only so many spots in a freshman class.
There are always exceptions, but generally the objective measures are a starting place for both anyone thinking of applying and admissions staff.
If you didn’t know, how important standardized tests are for college applications, now you do. Test scores separate the boys and girls from men and women.
SAT, ACT, AP, IB, and SAT II scores are all objective measures that colleges and universities can use to evaluate applicants and make initial decisions of who meets basic standards. These scores are then combined with other factors like GPA on a 4.0 scale, difficulty of classes, class rank, and national awards in order find the best applicants out of the thousands who apply.
Finally, subjective parts of the application, like essays and letters of recommendation, are used to find the best of the best. It is a lengthy process that breaks many hearts, but there are only so many spots in a freshman class.
There are always exceptions, but generally the objective measures are a starting place for both anyone thinking of applying and admissions staff.
How Does The SAT Reasoning Test Work?
The first and most important test is the SAT Reasoning Test.
This test lasts for 3 hours 45 minutes and covers reading, math, vocabulary,
grammar, and writing.
These topics are divided into 3 overall sections and further divided into smaller 15-25 minute chunks. Scores range from 200 to 800 per section with a possible maximum score of 2400. The average SAT score is 1500 (500 on each of the 3 sections).
In all sections except for the essay and write in for math there is a ¼ point deduction for every wrong answer.
These topics are divided into 3 overall sections and further divided into smaller 15-25 minute chunks. Scores range from 200 to 800 per section with a possible maximum score of 2400. The average SAT score is 1500 (500 on each of the 3 sections).
In all sections except for the essay and write in for math there is a ¼ point deduction for every wrong answer.
Below are the average SAT scores of students entering a wide
variety of universities. These universities are all for students who perform
above average, but there is data available for every school on the Internet.
The first thing to do is to compare your SAT scores with the averages from the school you are interested in attending. While there is much more to an application that a test score, seeing where your score fits is an important step to finding a college you want to attend. Do you want to know what a good SAT score for 2013 is?
The first thing to do is to compare your SAT scores with the averages from the school you are interested in attending. While there is much more to an application that a test score, seeing where your score fits is an important step to finding a college you want to attend. Do you want to know what a good SAT score for 2013 is?
Is Your SAT Score Good Enough for College?
School
|
SAT Math
|
SAT Reading
|
SAT Writing
|
Harvard
|
710-790
|
700-800
|
710-800
|
Brown
|
660-770
|
660-760
|
670-780
|
UCLA
|
600-760
|
560-680
|
590-710
|
Penn State
|
560-670
|
530-630
|
540-640
|
University TX Austin
|
580-710
|
550-670
|
540-680
|
Ohio State
|
610-710
|
540-650
|
550-650
|
American University
|
570-670
|
590-690
|
580-680
|
Pepperdine
|
570-680
|
550-650
|
560-670
|
NYU
|
630-740
|
620-710
|
640-730
|
How Does The ACT Aptitude Test Work?
The ACT is the other widely accepted standardized exam that
colleges accept. This test covers additional topics that are not on the SAT
like science and trigonometry. The ACT is widely known as a test on knowledge
(either you know the answer or you don’t), while the SAT is about reasoning
(figuring out the answer).
The ACT takes 3 hours 25 minutes, but there are more questions than on the SAT, so speed is essential. The ACT is scored out of 36 points and the average composite score is around 21. There is no penalty for guessing on the ACT.
The ACT takes 3 hours 25 minutes, but there are more questions than on the SAT, so speed is essential. The ACT is scored out of 36 points and the average composite score is around 21. There is no penalty for guessing on the ACT.
Below are the average ACT composite scores for the same
schools where I listed the SAT scores above. Again, scores are not everything,
but they act as a good guideline for future applicants.
Is Your ACT Score Good Enough For College?
 |
| ACT Composite Score Averages |
How Do The SAT II Subject Tests Work?
SAT II Subject tests cover specific subjects and are much
shorter than the regular SAT or ACT. The subjects covered by the SAT II’s are:
Literature, U.S. History, World History, Math 1, Math 2, Biology, Chemistry,
Physics, Chinese, French, Hebrew, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, and
Spanish.
These tests generally last one hour each and you can take up to three in a single day. The average scores for SAT Subject Tests are rather high, but that is because most people who take a subject test have knowledge about the subject.
These tests generally last one hour each and you can take up to three in a single day. The average scores for SAT Subject Tests are rather high, but that is because most people who take a subject test have knowledge about the subject.
Subject tests are useful because they allow a student to
stand out among a sea of people as someone who understands a particular subject
fairly well. They are another objective measure that colleges and universities
can use to compare students to one another when making admission decisions.
Is Your SAT II Subject Test Score Good Enough For College?
Literature
|
576
|
Chinese Listening
|
758
|
US History
|
608
|
French
|
622
|
World History
|
607
|
French Listening
|
646
|
Math 1
|
610
|
German
|
622
|
Math 2
|
654
|
German Listening
|
611
|
Biology
|
605 (Micro 635)
|
Hebrew
|
623
|
Chemistry
|
648
|
Italian
|
666
|
Physics
|
656
|
Japanese
|
684
|
Korean Listening
|
767
|
Spanish
|
647
|
Latin
|
611
|
Spanish Listening
|
663
|
How Do The AP and IB Subject Tests Work?
Finally, this leaves AP and IB tests. These exams are both
subject tests that a student would take at the end of the school year, usually
in May. AP is much more common in American schools so I will focus primarily on
those. However, most of the AP subjects are also covered under the IB program.
AP classes cover Art, English, History, Social Science, Math, Computer Science, Sciences, and World Languages/Cultures. Rather than list all of the AP courses please look at them here. https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse
AP classes cover Art, English, History, Social Science, Math, Computer Science, Sciences, and World Languages/Cultures. Rather than list all of the AP courses please look at them here. https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse
AP exams take an entire afternoon, and are usually over
three hours long. There are extensive essays on most exams and multiple-choice
questions. AP art students submit portfolios to the College Board to be graded.
Tests are graded on a 5-point scale, with 3 usually being a “passing” grade.
Some colleges and universities will only accept 4’s or 5’s but it is different at every institution. There is also no penalty for guessing on AP exams. There used to be a penalty, but it was removed in 2010, so it is to a student’s advantage to fill in every blank bubble.
Some colleges and universities will only accept 4’s or 5’s but it is different at every institution. There is also no penalty for guessing on AP exams. There used to be a penalty, but it was removed in 2010, so it is to a student’s advantage to fill in every blank bubble.
Conclusions About the State of Standardized Testing
So what do all of these tests really mean? Honestly – absolutely
nothing. They are an easy way for colleges and universities to compare
candidates when making admissions decisions. Many smart students perform poorly
on these tests while many students who are “good at taking tests” can score
very highly.
It is unfortunate that these tests have such a huge weight on the college application process. There are many more important things to consider in an applicant than scores, but these are the easiest and most objective measures. Until something new is created, all students must play the game and take the tests.
I took the SAT four times before I earned scores that I was satisfied with. It is a waste of money, but what else is there? Don’t feel bad if your score isn’t “good enough.” There are plenty of colleges and everyone can find a perfect match.
It is unfortunate that these tests have such a huge weight on the college application process. There are many more important things to consider in an applicant than scores, but these are the easiest and most objective measures. Until something new is created, all students must play the game and take the tests.
I took the SAT four times before I earned scores that I was satisfied with. It is a waste of money, but what else is there? Don’t feel bad if your score isn’t “good enough.” There are plenty of colleges and everyone can find a perfect match.
