What Test Scores Do You Need to Get into a Top College?

When colleges judge applications, about half of their assessment rests on your academic credentials. After all, college is hard, and they want to be sure you are well equipped to do the work which will be asked of you. Of this academic assessment, a little less than half the weight is given to your scores on standardized tests. 

But what scores do colleges expect to see, and what counts as a good score? Of course, getting a perfect score is ideal, but do any universities really expect that? In this article, we’re going to look at the average score ranges for top universities, and what their testing policies are. We’re then going to give you some practical advice on using your own scores in the admissions process. Let’s get started!

Average Test Scores at Top Colleges

What we are going to be looking at specifically is the middle 50th percentile for these schools. This gives you a sense of the range of scores accepted at top schools. We will give you the scores of the 25th percentile of accepted students, and the 75th percentile. The percentile refers to the number of accepted students a hypothetical student with that score would perform better than. 

For example, Brown’s SAT range is 1520-1570. Thus if you applied with a score of 1520, you would have scored higher than 25% of the accepted students at Brown that year. In general, scoring in the 75th percentile or above means you are well qualified for a school, while scoring in the 25th percentile or below makes it more of a reach. This doesn’t make a school impossible; students did score lower than the 25th percentile and get accepted, it just requires other aspects of your application to be that much more impressive. 

Finally, we want to note that getting a test score within or above this range does not guarantee your acceptance to a top college. Every year, Ivy league schools reject thousands of students with perfect SAT scores. Getting high scores is important, and it does help your application, but it is only one component, and is not the only thing that colleges look at. 

With all that established, here’s the test score ranges for top colleges, along with their test-optional policies (for the current year):

Finally, we should note that the UC schools do not accept and will not consider your standardized test scores. They are great schools, but need not be mentioned again in this particular discussion. 

What Does Test Score Data Tell Us?

The first thing which stands out is that perfect scores are not required to get into a top university. While score averages are clearly very high, none of the top schools expect perfect scores on the SAT; there are a few that average in the range of a 36 on the ACT, but even that is uncommon. This is something of a relief; you do not need to strive for perfection, merely for performing quite well.

The next thing of note is how similar the average scores are across different top schools. There is some slight variation, a few outliers, but in general, these schools have incredibly similar score profiles. This is perhaps unsurprising, but it is still interesting to see laid out so clearly. 

These schools are all drawing from the same pool of candidates, who often have similar levels of educational background, and score at a similar level on tests. This is perhaps unsurprising, but does show you what’s required; if you want to be competitive at a top level university, you will need standardized test scores in this range as well. We recommend a score of 1500 on the SAT or a 34 on the ACT, and that’s just enough to get you into the lower range of contention. 

A Note on Lower Scores

Of course, these scores are only the middle range; higher scores are understandably more competitive, but what of lower ones? How low of a score can you have and be competitive for a top school? 

This depends on who you are. One thing we have found is that many of the students in the lowest quartile are recruited athletes, who have strong scores generally, but who may not measure up; instead getting in on the strength of their athletic performance. These scores then skew the admitted student numbers, since they get in almost without a consideration of their scores, so long as they hit the benchmarks expected. 

Finally, some schools such as Dartmouth say that they consider scores in context; so if you have high scores relative to your high school, even if they are low compared to Dartmouth’s overall averages, they will help your application. Not all schools do this, but we commend Dartmouth for doing so.

Are Your Test Scores Competitive for a Top School?

This does depend a fair bit on where you want to apply, but let’s take a look at some example students, and see how different scores impact their college planning and applications, and where they end up attending. 

Student T

Student T came to us with a score of 34 on the ACT, and that was with a notably low 29 on the science section. Their goal was to get high enough scores to accomplish two goals: 

• To be competitive for admissions to top programs
• To qualify them for merit scholarships at other schools

To this end, we suggested they retake the test, especially given the clearly fixable weakness in the science section. Two months of focused effort later, and they got a 35, with a superscore raised to 36. This was high enough, in combination with the rest of their profile to get into a number of top universities, and to receive a number of merit scholarship offers from lower ranked schools. 

Student S

Student S began working with us early, after they did quite poorly on their first sitting of the SAT in their junior year. They suffered from test anxiety, and had struggled with PSAT as well. They began working one-on-one with our test prep experts to address specific concerns. 

We were able to raise their score by over 120 points, to 1450, by the time they took the SAT again. This was high enough for the target schools on their list to be competitive, and they were successful In their ED application to a top 40 school. 

Student A

Student A came to us in the fall of their senior year, with an SAT score of 1320. We began working with them on test prep, while also pursuing an application strategy to maximize their strengths. Student A’s GPA was a 3.9/4.0, and they had a very impressive portfolio of extracurriculars, they simply did not have the test scores to compete at schools they would otherwise be qualified for. 

We helped student A evaluate a number of test optional schools, and apply to one ED without including their test scores. They retook the tests in November; the scores scheduled to arrive just before the January 1 deadline. In this case, they proved unnecessary; the student did noticeably improve their score, but was accepted ED before that became necessary. 

For You

Your own strategy needs to decide whether your scores are competitive where they are, and if not, what to do about it. You can work to improve your scores, select primarily test optional colleges, or some admixture of the two. We recommend playing to your strengths, and a lot of this depends on how well you test, and how much you think you will be able to improve your scores should you need to, either with help or on your own. 

Final Thoughts

Standardized tests were and are an important part of the college admissions process. The scores you get on these tests matter, especially as the period of near total test optional admissions at universities comes to an end. We hope that this article has given you important context on what scores are needed to compete for admission to a top university, and how to go about achieving them. 

Of course, both studying to improve your test scores and applying to top universities are difficult, especially when you’re working under the other pressures of your senior year in high school. Our test prep service is well suited to help students make the most of their test scores, while our application coaching specializes in finding the right strategy for your college applications. Schedule a free consultation with us today to learn how we can help you on your educational journey.