I am just wondering how much SAT scores matter for admissions chances. I am 8th in my class, have a 98.5 NGA, (so 4.0) and have done well on AP exams and have taken as rigorous of a coarseload as I could…but my SAT scores are low for the schools I am looking at (Harvard, Brown, Georgetown, USC) at 1300. I am taking them again, but I dont know how much my score will improve. So, how much do scores sway a decision?
Congrats on your hard work and success!
Test scores are a piece of the puzzle. Some schools will pay lots of attention, and some will pay little. I think some schools like Wash U and Vanderbilt pay a lot of attention. A 1300 is a high score. It’s just for schools like the ones you list, acceptance rates are as low as 4.6%, which makes them highly unlikely for everyone, even students with 1500+ SATs. Acceptance rates are higher ED, but you can only apply to one early.
Just make sure you have some schools that are safeties and matches in terms of admissions AND are affordable. The good news is that there are many, many excellent schools with great programs, beautiful campuses, and absolutely amazing students, faculty, and staff.
Also, you might google “test-optional colleges.” There are many terrific schools where you don’t even need to submit test scores. Again, I don’t think your score is low, just something you might want to consider. Good luck!
Have you tried some ACT practice tests? Some students do better on one format over the other. You can find tests on line with the grading. Also some of the schools on your list strongly recommend SAT subject tests. If you can do better on those, that may help.
Some colleges (including some rather selective ones) don’t require you to report standardized tests test scores. If your scores don’t improve significantly, you might want to include 1 or more of these schools in your application list.
https://www.fairtest.org/university/optional
1300 looks terrible for Harvard and Brown, imo. It shows you have some deficiency that needs to be fixed. You won’t score well on ACT either without improvement.
Not as much as you think, but more than you would like them to. Basically-get the best scores you possibly can 
Thanks everyone. Do any of you have advice for how to improve my score? I take them again in October which gives me time to improve. The English is ok for me, the math is what is hard
“the math is what is hard”
This is actually fantastic news. IMO it’s more difficult to bump up the English portion because it’s more esoteric, less rules oriented. If the problem is with the math section, you might be just missing a few key concepts or timing strategy, but that is easily diagnosed with good SAT prep materials. If you go to the SAT/ACT part of cc, there are all sorts of suggestions about tutoring, books and online resources.
I would suggest that you find a tutor to help you strengthen your math skills. Talk with your parents about the schools that you are interested in and find out what their budget is for tuition first.