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Is 1100 a good SAT score? This article will answer all of your questions!
When it comes to applying to university, a high SAT score is an important requirement for a competitive application. But what is a good SAT score?
Unfortunately, a good SAT score is hard to define. Like each candidate, every university and program you apply to is different. The formula that determines a “good SAT score” has more factors than any algebraic function you’ll encounter. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it is difficult to answer.
Of course, that doesn’t mean we should give up doing so. In this article, we will use an 1100 SAT score as an example. So let’s dive in and see: how good is an 1100 SAT score?
Before we get into the breakdown, though, it is important to be aware that for the fall 2023 application round, many universities have made SAT score submissions optional. That being said, if you submit your SAT score, it will be evaluated as normal, and it can either help or harm you.
An SAT score of 1100 can be seen as satisfactory, but it's not exceptional. In 2021, out of all high school graduates who took the 2023 SAT during high school, the average SAT score was 1028. Any score above that is considered acceptable for many colleges.
Therefore, 1100 is considered better than the average, albeit by a small margin. But those numbers are rough estimates. If you wish to get a better idea, you must look at the universities and programs that you’re applying to.
To understand where your score stands, one of the most reliable and frequently used ways is finding the median, or average, SAT score of freshmen in recent years. Take a look at how well the average admitted applicant did on the SAT. Is it higher than 1100 or lower than 1100, and by how much?
For the SAT, a perfect score is 1600, while the lowest score is 400. This total score is the sum of the scores of the two sections of the SAT: the Math section and the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section. Both of these sections have scores that range between 200 and 800.
This data can give you a rough idea of what counts as “good” for the place you’re aiming to apply. However, this information can be challenging to find. Additionally, it's important to understand how SAT scores vary between states.
Therefore, something else you can do is look at the college’s overall acceptance rate. It’s better if you can find the acceptance rate for the specific program you’re applying to. For either case, the general rule is that the lower the acceptance rate, the higher the SAT score you’ll need.
Another reliable way to determine if your score can be considered “good” is to look at your official SAT score report. This will contain detailed information about your score and your performance, including your percentile rank.
Your percentile rank is the percentage of the test-takers whose score is equal to or lower than your score. In other words, your percentile shows the percentage of test-takers that you outperformed. For example, if you have a 70th percentile ranking, your SAT score is higher than 70% of test takers.
Universities also pay a lot of attention to this; they want to know where an applicant places among their peers. So, is 1100 a good SAT score? One possible answer is written in the percentile. Does 1100 have a high or low percentile rank?
An 1100 SAT score falls within the 58th percentile of test takers, which is something to consider when examining the stats of your target schools.
If you've completed the SAT exam and find yourself in need of an SAT to ACT score conversion, check out our automatic SAT to ACT score converter.
There are quite a few good universities you can get into with an SAT score of 1100. Here are some examples of schools that you have a good chance of getting into with an 1100 SAT score:
Now that we’ve looked at a few schools you can get into with 1100, let’s go over a few tips to improve your SAT score.
If you want to get a better SAT score, here are a few ways that you might find helpful.
The SAT is meant to assess your academic readiness for university. Therefore, the exam’s difficulty will be similar to the average high school courses in grades 11 and 12. Doing well in school will also help you do well on the SATs.
The SAT evaluates your evidence-based reading, writing skills, and mathematics skills. Hence, doing well in any courses related to these subjects will be especially effective in improving your SAT performance. High school coursework provides great practice for questions on the SAT.
Speaking of practice, the CollegeBoard offers SAT practice tests that simulate real testing scenarios, making them an excellent way to see how well you can do in an actual testing situation. With these practice tests, you can have a better idea of what you should work on, not just in terms of knowledge but also strategies, pace, headspace, etc.
Practice makes perfect (or at least progress), so put these online resources to good use. If you’ve run out of free materials, you can always order additional practices.
As mentioned before, the difficulty of the SAT is roughly on par with coursework in grades 11 and 12. This means your teachers are certainly a viable option to get help from, especially if you are struggling with certain areas. Tutors can also be an excellent way to boost your chances of success on the SAT.
To guage how ready you are for the SAT, check out our quiz. It’ll help you pinpoint areas where you may need to focus your study efforts.
Hopefully, you now have a good grasp on whether 1100 is a good SAT score for you! But if you still have questions or concerns, feel free to check out our FAQs!
Although an 1100 SAT score is considered good by many universities, it may not suffice when it comes to applying to the more competitive universities (especially those with acceptance rates that are lower than 50%). If you have the time and opportunity to do so, retaking the SAT and aiming for a higher final score is strongly recommended.
Theoretically speaking, yes. Practically speaking, it’s extremely difficult.
Ivy League schools do not have any requirements for SAT scores. This means that no matter how much you got, you’re still allowed and welcome to submit your scores. However, because Ivy League schools are so competitive, you need an exceptional SAT score to get accepted.
There have been extremely rare cases where applicants with an 1100 final SAT score get accepted. However, you usually need something else that is a phenomenon. Otherwise, an 1100 final SAT score is almost always a no from the admission committee. Almost.
You can retake the SAT as many times as you want to, but it is very impractical to retake it more than twice. You can only take the test so many times each year, so in this sense, there is a limited number of opportunities for retaking.
Any score above 1200 would give you a competitive edge in the more selective schools. In 2023, 17% of those who took the SAT in that year scored 1200 or higher. However, 1400 is considered to be very well done and can be considered for Ivy League schools. Only 7% of the total scored 1400 or higher in 2023.
SAT scores taken during school days are usually available around two to four weeks after the test date. For SAT taken during weekends or during summer break, scores may take longer to come out. If you took the optional essay, your score might take another additional few days.
So, how good is an 1100 SAT score? Well, it is good but not great. It’s slightly above-average performance. It should land you somewhere with promising programs and education, so you do have many good options to turn to. However, if you want to apply to top undergraduate programs, you might want to retake the test and aim for over 1200.
Fortunately, you’re not that far away! If you take the time and work hard enough, you should be able to achieve your goals! Remember: the SAT score that you get reflects the amount of time and effort you put in.
Hopefully, this article answers your questions on whether 1100 on the SAT is a good score! Good luck!
