It is well documented that admissions decisions to US colleges and universities are holistically based on a bundle of factors such as GPA’s (Grade Point Average) and Transcripts, SAT (or ACT) Scores, Application/Personal Essays, ECA’s (Extra-curricular Activities), Recommendation Letters and Interviews. Of all these criteria, the SAT Score is intrinsically the least subjective.
At its core, the SAT is designed to correspond with the American high school curricula in determining the academic readiness of college applicants. Although the benchmark score varies from one college to another and applicants are procedurally considered on a case by case basis, the fact is that the average SAT score at the most selective schools (Ivy League) is typically above 2200.
A particularly strong SAT score can also help to compensate for other admissions criteria which you may be weak in. Many applicants with lackluster GPA’s, ECA’s and so forth are known to get through on the strength of their impressive SAT scores. SAT can really be a shot in the arm instead of a pain in the neck. What’s even better is, with the right approach, SAT is not difficult to ace.