How to overcome a low SAT score

So you took the SAT exam and didn’t end up with the score you expected. Maybe you had a bad day, couldn’t focus or just hit a wall with some of the material. The SAT is difficult, and things happen. Do not fear, however, as there is plenty you can still do to get into your dream school!

One logical next step is to retake the exam. Provided that you did not wait until the last minute, the exam is most likely being offered again before your application deadlines. If you do improve your performance and the college offers Score Choice, admissions officers will only see your new scores. Be sure to use the time between test dates to intensively study and prepare as you see fit.

Do you think that you were not prepared well enough? There are dozens (if not hundreds) of SAT resources available. Taking practice tests is a great way to get acclimated to the structure and style of SAT questions, as well as help you with the vocabulary section. You may even want to take an SAT course, hire a tutor or ask your high school teachers for some extra help.

An alternative is to take the ACT. The ACT tests in a slightly different style than the SAT, and all colleges and universities will accept scores from either test. Be aware, however, that the ACT also tests you specifically in the sciences.

Admissions processes for top schools are holistic, meaning that they do not rely on one specific metric in their decision making. If you have wonderful extracurricular activities on your résumé and/or have top notch grades, these can compensate for less than stellar exam scores. Interviews with the school, great recommendation letters from teachers and writing a brilliant college essay are other ways to cover up these scores, too.

Finally, you may be surprised that there are many great colleges that have lower standardized test averages. Check the data on the schools you are applying to and see if your scores fall in the range for incoming students. If you are still worried, there are over eight hundred schools in the United States that do not require standardized testing scores for their applications.

Give it your best, and make every opportunity count!