--- title: Do colleges look at SAT scores? description: Admissions officers use the middle 50% range to evaluate standardized test scores. Applicants should aim for scores within or above this range. image: https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Do%20Colleges%20Look%20at%20SAT%20Scores.jpg --- [Think you can get into a top-10 school? Take our chance-me calculator... if you dare. 🔥](https://uq2z800a22f.typeform.com/to/GSbIvdW0) [![](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/admit-report-logo-black.svg)](https://admitreport.com/) [College Essays](https://admitreport.com/college-essays) Personal Statement Supplemental Essays Writing Advice Example Essays Other Application Writing Sections Personal Statement Foundations [How to Write a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Brainstorming a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-brainstorming-questions) [Personal Statement Mistakes](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-end-a-college-essay) [How to Revise a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-edit-a-common-app-essay) Personal Statement Strategy [Writing About Strengths](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Finding a Topic](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-choose-a-college-essay-topic) [Tone & Theme](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-requirements#college-essay-conventions) Common Application [Common Application Prompts](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples#the-2022-2023-common-application-essay-prompts) [Common Application Requirements](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/owlhkp/my_giant_guide_to_to_the_common_app_what_is_it/) [How to Write a Common App Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Common App Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples) Personal Statement Examples ["Great" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#the-best-personal-statement-examples) ["Good" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#good-personal-statement-examples) ["Bad" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#bad-personal-statement-examples) Types of Supplemental Essays [Why Us](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-college-essay) [Diversity Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/diversity-essay) [Community Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/community-essay-examples) [Academic Interest Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/academic-interest-essay) [Why This Major Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-major-essay-examples) [Challenge Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-challenge-essay-examples) [Extracurricular Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) Supplemental Strategy [Writing About Strengths](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#goal-1-write-persuasively-about-your-strengths) Our College Essay Philosophy [Creating a Cohesive Application Narrative](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) [Writing Vulnerably](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Strengths-Based Writing](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#goal-1-write-persuasively-about-your-strengths) Writing Techniques [Brainstorming a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-brainstorming-questions) [Drafting a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-draft-a-common-app-essay) [Revising a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-edit-a-common-app-essay) Personal Statement ["Great" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#the-best-personal-statement-examples) ["Good" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#good-personal-statement-examples) ["Bad" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#bad-personal-statement-examples) Supplemental Essays [Why Us Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-college-essay) [Diversity Supplemental Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/diversity-essay) [Extracurricular Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) [Academic Interest Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/academic-interest-essay) [Community Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/community-essay-examples) [Why this Major Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-major-essay-examples) [Challenge Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-challenge-essay-examples) School-Specific Supplementals [Harvard Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/harvard-supplemental-essays) [Yale Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/yale-supplemental-essays) [Stanford Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/stanford-supplemental-essays) [USC Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/usc-supplemental-essays) [Dartmouth Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/dartmouth-supplemental-essays) [All Supplemental Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/supplementals) Activities Descriptions [Writing Activities Descriptions that Stand Out](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) Admissions Office Communications [Finding Your Admissions Officers](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample#contacting-your-admissions-counselor-vs-the-admissions-office) [Emailing an Admissions Office](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) Preparation Pathways Extracurricular Activities Academic Basics Testing Admissions 101 Grade-Based Timelines [First-Year Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/first-year-timeline) [Sophomore Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/sophomore-timeline) [Junior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/junior-timeline) [Senior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) International Students [How to Apply as an International Student](https://admitreport.com/blog/applying-to-college-as-an-international-student) Extracurriculars in Admissions [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurriculars-and-college-admissions) [How to Find Authentic Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-organically-find-your-extracurricular-interests) [Basic Extracurricular Pathways](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-pathways) [Extracurricular Magnitude and Impact](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-magnitude-and-impact) [Leveling Up Your ECs](https://admitreport.com/blog/leveling-up-your-extracurriculars) [Crafting ECs by Combining Interests](https://admitreport.com/blog/craft-amazing-extracurriculars) [Passion Projects](https://admitreport.com/blog/passion-project-ideas) GPA [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurriculars-and-college-admissions) [Unweighted vs. Weighted GPA](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/15ehsq5/aos_dont_want_you_to_know_this_one_weird_fact/) [Assessing Your GPA & Admissions Chances](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) [Class Rank](https://admitreport.com/blog/academics-gpa) Course Work [Course Rigor](https://admitreport.com/blog/do-colleges-care-about-ap-scores) SAT & ACT [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Standardized Test Scores](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean#how-do-admissions-officers-evaluate-my-test-scores) [Test-Optional Admissions](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean) AP & IB Tests [Do AP & IB Tests Matter in Admissions?](https://admitreport.com/blog/do-colleges-care-about-ap-scores) [When to Send Your Scores](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) Types of Institutions [Liberal Arts College](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#liberal-arts-colleges) [Private University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#highly-selective-private-institutions) [State University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#large-state-schools) [Community Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#community-colleges) How Applications are Reviewed [How Applications are Reviewed](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) [The Job of the Admissions Officer](https://admitreport.com/blog/reading-5k-essays-in-a-top-15-admissions-office) [What is the Committee?](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications#the-third-trial-committee-recommendations) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) Navigating the application College Application Strategy College Research Building Your College List Application Materials Common Application Guide [How to Use the Common Application](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/owlhkp/my_giant_guide_to_to_the_common_app_what_is_it/) [Common Application Essay Prompts](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples#the-2022-2023-common-application-essay-prompts) Applying to International Schools [A Guide to Applying as an International Student](https://admitreport.com/blog/applying-to-college-as-an-international-student) Our Strategy Philosophy [Creating a Cohesive Narrative](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) [How Admissions Offices Process Applications](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) College-Specific Application Guides [Harvard](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-harvard) [Stanford](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-stanford) [Yale](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-yale) [MIT](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-mit) [USC](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-usc) [See the full list](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/application-strategy) Tools & Resources [Demonstrated Interest](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-show-demonstrated-interest) [How to Use the Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-data-set) Visiting Colleges [When to Visit Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/touring-colleges#ways-to-visit-college-campuses) Resources [Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/common-data-set) [Colleges That Change Lives](https://ctcl.org/) School List Basics [How to Build the Perfect School List](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list) [Safety Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-safety-school) [Target Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-target-school) [Reach Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-reach-school) Early Decision Strategy [Early Action vs Early Decision](https://admitreport.com/blog/early-action-vs-early-decision) [How to Pick Your ED](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application) [Early Decision II](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application#what-s-the-strategy-for-ed-ii-schools) Letters of Recommendation [Teacher Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [Counselor Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college#how-to-get-the-best-letters-of-recommendation-possible) School Report [What Is a School Report?](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/vz09mf/the_document_in_every_application_most_students/) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) [![](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/admit-report-logo-black.svg)](https://admitreport.com/) [College Essays](https://admitreport.com/college-essays) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) ###### Contents Last updated March 22, 2024 Every piece we write is researched and vetted by a former admissions officer. Read about [our mission](https://admitreport.com/standards) to pull back the admissions curtain. [Blog](https://admitreport.com/blog) > [Academics](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/academics) > Do colleges look at SAT scores? # Do colleges look at SAT scores? Admissions officer reviewed by [Ben Bousquet, M.Ed](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Former Vanderbilt University Written by [Ben Bousquet, M.Ed](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Former Vanderbilt University Admissions ###### Key Takeaway Standardized test scores, like the SAT and ACT, are an important part of an applicant's "academic" profile. Admissions officers use a metric called the "middle 50% range" to evaluate scores, and applicants should aim for scores within or above this range. When a school is test-optional, submitting scores below the lower end of the middle 50% may weaken an application. We’ve written before about how admissions offices calculate an [“academic” ranking and a “personal” ranking](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) for each applicant. As you can probably guess, standardized test scores—namely the SAT and ACT—are an important part of that “academic” ranking. So are SAT scores important? If so, how, exactly, do admissions officers evaluate standardized test scores? And what happens when I don’t submit my test scores at test-optional schools? Let’s get into it. ## Do colleges look at SAT scores? Does my SAT score matter? Yes! If you submit SAT or ACT scores, colleges will look at them. Some schools think standardized test scores are really important. Other schools just take them as one small piece of information in the application. (Curious if the schools you’re applying to heavily weigh standardized test scores? Search for your schools in the [Data Room](https://admitreport.com/common-data-set) to find out.) Whether your SAT score matters really depends on how much the school you’re applying to cares about standardized test scores. For those that don’t put too much stake in them, a lower score probably won’t tank your application. But for schools that consider them an important part of your application, your SAT score can help admissions officers decide whether you’re a good academic fit for the school. In the next section, I’ll break down what that actually means. ## How are SAT and ACT scores evaluated? Of course, every college and university has its own unique policies and procedures. But in general, your SAT and ACT scores help admissions officers measure your academic potential. Where you fall in relation to the average scores of admitted students clues admissions officers into whether you’re a good fit for the academic community. While this system isn’t without its problems, that’s the general consensus about why standardized test scores are valuable admissions data. But your scores aren’t analyzed in isolation. They're evaluated alongside the other parts of your application, like your GPA, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and personal essays—it’s all part of the [multi-staged review](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) process that admissions offices use. So that’s how admissions officers evaluate SAT and ACT scores in general. Now, let’s get into the specifics. Admissions offices tend to use a score range called the “middle 50%” to measure whether your SAT or ACT score stacks up. The middle 50% range tells you the score range in which the middle half of students scored. It also means that 25% of students scored at or below that number, and another 25% scored at or above it. We’ll use the University of Virginia as an example. Their most recent statistics reported these middle 50% ranges: | Middle 50% Range | Test | | --- | --- | | 690 - 750 | SAT: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | | 710 - 790 | SAT: Math | | 32 - 35 | ACT Composite | University of Virginia admissions officers will use these ranges to evaluate whether a standardized test score is competitive within their applicant pool. An applicant with a 32 on the ACT is moderately competitive, but not wildly so. An applicant with a 36 on the ACT, on the other hand, is super competitive. So: what does this all mean for your own scores? ## How to Use a Middle 50% Range As you can probably guess from the University of Virginia example, you want to aim for scores that are, at the very least, within the middle 50% range. The higher you can get within (or above!) the range, the more competitive your score will be. Having these numbers in mind can be useful goalposts for you as you prepare to take standardized tests. They can help you figure out where to prioritize your energy studying (maybe that 700 on your SAT Math score isn’t looking too good anymore if you have your signs set on UVA!). They can also help you decide whether you need to take the SAT or ACT again to try to improve your score. Now, what do you do when a school you’re applying to is test-optional? ## Should I submit my test scores if the school is test-optional? More and more schools have been turning to test-optional admissions. That means you get to decide whether or not to submit your standardized test scores. We have a whole other post that goes into all the details about [test-optional admissions](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean), but here are the basics. To decide whether to submit your scores, you’ll want to look at the middle 50% range for schools you’re applying to. If your scores fall within or above the middle 50% range, you’re probably safe to submit them. But if your scores are below the 25th percentile—or even at the very bottom of the middle 50% range—you may want to reconsider submitting them. They could potentially weaken your application, especially if it's weighed against stronger applications with higher scores. ## What happens when I don’t submit my test scores? So your scores are below the middle 50%. What now? Let’s return to our UVA example. Since UVA is still currently test optional, you get to decide whether to submit your scores. Let’s say you got a 26 on the ACT. Given that the UVA middle 50% ACT range is 32 - 35, you probably don’t want to submit a 26. It’ll draw a red flags to your application that don’t need to be there. But without your scores, how do University of Virginia admissions officers evaluate your academic fit for the school? Ben has [a whole Reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/xpkpxv/what_actually_happens_when_i_dont_submit_test/) about this, so I’ll just put it briefly: your other academic application factors—GPA, course rigor, letters of recommendation—simply gain slightly more weight. Think of it like a pie chart: you take the standardized test slice out, and the other slices have to get just a little bit bigger. ## TL;DR Admissions officers evaluate standardized test scores, like the SAT and ACT, when evaluating an applicant's "academic" profile. Typically, they use a metric called the "middle 50% range," which represents the scores between which the middle half of admitted students fall. If aiming for such schools, applicants should strive for scores within or above this range. When a school is test-optional, you can choose whether to submit your scores. If your score falls below or near the lower end of the middle 50%, it might be better not to submit. Without these scores, other application components, like GPA and letters of recommendation, become more important.       ###### Liked that? Try this next. ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/siora-photography-hgFY1mZY-Y0-unsplash.jpg) How A Selective Admissions Office Reads 50k Applications In A Season](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/CDS%20Posts%20(15).png) Everything You Need to Know about Academics & GPA](https://admitreport.com/blog/academics-gpa) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/15%20Personal%20Statement%20Examples.jpg) 16 Amazing Personal Statement Examples (2025 Update)](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/8%20UC%20Essay%20Examples.jpg) 9 Outstanding UC Essay Examples (2025 Update)](https://admitreport.com/blog/uc-essay-examples) ### Upgrade your college journey ###### Content [Admissions Guides](https://admitreport.com/admissions-guides) [Categories](https://admitreport.com) ###### Legal [Privacy Policy](https://admitreport.com/privacy) [Terms of Use](https://admitreport.com/terms) K&S Canon, PLLC 1200 5TH Ave Ste 1950, Seattle, WA, 98101-1183, United States Copyright © 2026 McNeil Admissions ### "The only actually useful chance calculator I’ve seen—plus a crash course on the application review process." Irena Smith, Former Stanford Admissions Officer We built the best admissions chancer in the world. How is it the best? It draws from our experience in top-10 admissions offices to show you how selective admissions actually works. [Get Chanced (We Dare You)](https://uq2z800a22f.typeform.com/to/GSbIvdW0) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Ben Bousquet, M.Ed", "url" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/author/ben-bousquet-m-ed" }, "dateModified" : "2024-03-22T00:12:18.247Z", "datePublished" : "2023-09-07T14:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Do colleges look at SAT scores?", "image" : [ "https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Do%20Colleges%20Look%20at%20SAT%20Scores.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/do-colleges-look-at-sat-scores", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject" }, "name" : "McNeil Admissions LLC" } } ```