Benefits of Setting an SAT Target Score

Are you a high school junior or considering your college options? One of your best tools is your SAT® score. It can help you get scholarships, is widely accepted at most colleges, and puts you in the driver’s seat.

How? Feedback from students like you who graduated recently noted that their SAT score was able to get them into their dream college or helped to confirm their grades. When you take the SAT, you have the option of sharing your score or not, so there is no risk of others seeing how you perform.

But successful students set a goal, and here’s why. Taking the SAT for the first time (whether it’s a practice test or an official test) helps you know your baseline. You get to know how well you perform in certain areas and become familiar with the formatting and timing. That score sets your benchmark and gives you an indicator of whether you’re likely to get into your chosen schools or not.

Once you have that score and know how it matches up with the schools you want to apply to (even if they’re test-optional), you can practice and prep with focus. It saves you time, elevates your knowledge, and gives you confidence in your college profile.

We won’t even dive into how your SAT score can help you get scholarships, no matter the score. Setting a goal score isn’t about comparing yourself to others or trying to get a perfect score. It’s about what’s realistic for you, and the great thing is that prep and practice help you improve.

PRO TIP:

If you took the PSAT/NMSQT® you can use that score as a benchmark, set your target score, and practice based on those results.

So, ready to get started? We've outlined 3 simple steps to reach your goal score, and they're simple.

• Create your college list.
• Determine you score goal.
• Take a practice test to establish your baseline.

A few tips to keep in mind:

• Practice increases progress. The more consistently you practice, the more you can expect your score to increase.
• Use BigFuture® to determine your goal score range.
• Remember, your SAT score is just one measure of your college profile. While it's a useful indicator, admissions counselors will consider many factors when making admissions decisions.
• You are in control. You can take the SAT and choose not to share your scores with any colleges. That’s our no-risk guarantee.