Is 1300 A Good SAT Score? Best Colleges That Accept 1300

Setting a SAT score goal is an important part of preparing to take the test. Submitting SAT scores is optional for applicants for undergraduate admission at many institutions following the disruptions associated with the COVID-19. However, it is still a wise decision to take the SAT and submit the score to your dream school.

Even if it is not compulsory, admission officers deal with tens of thousands of applications, having a good SAT score can be the reason they choose you when you apply to universities. Your SAT score allows them to compare you to the other applicants.

It is equally important to understand how the exam is scored, what a satisfactory score is for you, what score you must have to get accepted into the school of your choice. Furthermore, it can be helpful to know how to raise your score if it is not up to your desired level.

But what is considered a good SAT score, and what should your goal be? Is 1300 a good SAT score? Don’t stress, this article will give you a brief explanation about what the SAT is, how it is scored, and we’ll describe the SAT percentile score.

We will also provide a list of schools that may accept a SAT score of 1300, and those where you’ll stand the best chance of being accepted. And if you find 1300 will not quite cut it, we’re here to tell you how to increase your score.

Take the first step now and prepare to get into the school of your dreams!

How is the SAT Scored?

The SAT score is based on a grading scale of 1600 points, divided into two sections: Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing.

The two SAT sections are scored between 200 and 800, and there is an optional essay (see: How to Write an Argumentative Essay) section that is scored separately. The total score is 1600 and there is no consequence for getting an answer wrong, as your score report is only based on the number of questions you got right, and you cannot score zero.

What is the Average SAT Score?

Results from the 2020 SAT Annual Report by the College Board revealed that of the 2.2 million high school graduates who took the exam, the average composite score was 1051, with the average Reading & Writing score coming in at 528 and the average Mathematics score being 523.

Although it seems obvious that any score above 1051 is above average, and therefore a good score, that is not true. This is where percentile scores come in.

What is the Percentile Score?

Your score percentile shows how your performance on the exam compares to the other people who took it that same day. For instance, if you scored in the 90th percentile, that means you did better than 90% of the other test-takers on that day. An 18th percentile score means you beat only 18% of them. That means 82% of the others outscored you.

For that reason, your performance is measured by the percentile score you achieved. This table will give you an idea about what is typically regarded as great, good, and bad SAT scores. However, your chosen school’s requirements play a significant role.

Although a score of 1300 puts you right on the edge between good and great, you’ll see on the following lists of schools and the average SAT scores of students they enrolled, your list of universities is limited.

The following institutions accept 1300 SAT scores, but based on the average acceptance scores you can see that the likelihood of admission is low. If your goal is to go to any of these schools, working to get a higher SAT score will improve your chances.

Getting into the following schools is also currently challenging due to the average SAT scores exceeding 1300. If you can increase your SAT score, you will have a significantly better chance at getting accepted.

The schools in the table below have average SAT scores around 1300. You have a fair chance of being accepted. However, if you can boost your SAT score by 200 points, you might be almost guaranteed to be admitted to the majority of these schools.

Having a 1300 SAT score puts you in a great position to be accepted to the following schools. It is very probable that you will be admitted if you apply. If you can increase your SAT score, the schools you can apply to as your 'safety' schools will become even more favorable.

Our reason for repeating the advice to work on increasing your SAT score by 200 is the fact that the higher score will automatically increase your list of ‘safety’ schools, giving you a much wider choice.

Consider this; if you already have a SAT score of 1300, 200 extra points can put you in line for consideration at the top universities in the US. Here are just some of them:

Improving your SAT score by 200 can be daunting. However, it needn’t feel like a mountain to climb. Amikka Learning will have your back. Their ultimate goal is to help their students get into their top universities. For this reason, Amikka offers 1-on-1 tutoring for a variety of courses.

Check out Amikka’s website for a FREE TRIAL to help you prepare for the SAT, including hundreds of video lessons, practice tests and even one-on-one tutoring.

Amikka Learning's blog is a great source of knowledge about taking the exam again to get a better score, from advice and approaches to test organization and more.

What is the SAT?

The SAT is an exam that high schoolers take to demonstrate their academic abilities and decide if they are ready for college. It is a nationally recognized assessment, but the content and difficulty of the exam change from year to year, so adequate preparation for the three sections—Reading, Writing & Language, and Math (No Calculator & Calculator)—is essential for a successful score.