The highest SAT score you can possibly earn is 1600. The lowest SAT score is 400.
While it's impossible for you to get a zero on the test (everyone who takes the SAT will receive at least a 400), you have almost similar odds of doing very well on the test without studying.
Unfortunately, 780 is not a good SAT score. In reality, it's a weak score that will keep you from achieving your college admissions goals. Although you're still outperforming the majority of test takers, it's still not enough to get you into the top schools in the country.
What's a Bad SAT Score? A score of 1040 or below is considered below average for SAT test-takers. A score of 890 or below puts you in the bottom quarter of test-takers. This means that if you scored a 1040 or below, you should consider retaking the exam to improve your chances of getting into a good college.
The SAT is scored on a scale of 400 to 1600, with 1600 being considered a perfect score. A score of 1050 falls on the bottom end of the 50th percentile range, which is 1050-1100.
The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1018, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1223. In other words, a 1018 places you below average, while a 1223 will move you up to above average.
Harvard University's SAT scores for admitted students range from 1480 - 1580, with an average score of 1530. Although SAT scores are optional, we recommend that students aim for a good SAT score of at least 1530 to be competitive in the admissions process at Harvard University.
Harvard SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
There's no absolute SAT requirement at Harvard, but they really want to see at least a 1460 to have a chance at being considered.
A 1600 is only achieved by around 300 test takers per year and makes you eligible and highly competitive for admission at every college. Looking at this from another angle, a 1600 SAT score is in the 99nth percentile, which means you scored higher than 99% of all other 2 million+ test takers.
To be considered competitive, the score has to be between 650 and 690 in Reading and Writing and 610 to 670 in Math. Above average is 510 to 580 in Reading and Writing and 520 to 600 in Math.
While many high achievers strive to reach a 1600, in reality any score above a 1500 typically falls within the 99th or 98th percentile. This means that if you've scored a 1500 on the SAT, it may not be in your best interest to retake the test when you could work on other parts of your application.
Bill Gates has an impressive SAT score
Gates scored a 1590 out of 1600 on his SATs.
There's no absolute SAT requirement at Yale, but they really want to see at least a 1470 to have a chance at being considered.
A 1,000 on the SAT is slightly below the average score of 1060, so it is relatively easy to score 1000 on the SAT. Of course, that doesn't mean all students can easily score 1000 on the SAT. Students still have to know enough material to get 1000.
Average SAT: 1535
The average SAT score composite at MIT is a 1535.
Approximately 0.07% of students (7 in 10,000) who take the SAT achieve a perfect score. Since roughly 1.7 million people take the test each year, that comes out to around 1,000 people who score a perfect 1600.
As we said, admission to Harvard is extremely competitive. Even with a perfect SAT score of 1600 and a GPA of 4.0, your chances of admission are about 10%.
When you apply for admission, you can choose whether or not our review of your application will include your standardized test scores (SAT and ACT). If your scores already are on file before you apply and you choose at the time of your application to proceed without scores, we will not consider those scores.
Candidates who wish to apply to top universities globally are required to have at least 1200 SAT scores. Top U.S. universities like Harvard University, Yale University, MIT, University of Pennsylvania accept SAT scores of 1500.
The University of Oxford requires applicants from the US to submit either their SAT scores or ACT scores. Like most colleges and universities, Oxford doesn't prefer one standardized test over the other. The minimum SAT score required is 1480. On the other hand, the minimum ACT score required is 33.
The average high school GPA for admitted students at Harvard University is 4.18 on a 4.0 scale. (You can calculate your high school a GPA here.) This is a very competitive GPA, and Harvard University is clearly accepting students at the top of their high school class.