This is perhaps the most over-asked question on here so I apologize in advance. I scored a 1410 on the last SAT I took, which obviously isn’t amazing, but isn’t abhorrent either. I consider myself to be a pretty well rounded candidate with a good GPA and hard academic load, ECs in varsity sports and music, and I’ve done some internships and community service as well. I’m not looking at super top-tier schools and ivys, rather schools like Cal, USC, UCLA, Pitzer and Colgate interest me.
I could try and take the test again in August, but if anything, I will probably only see an increase of 50 points or less-- Maybe even a reduction in score.
Will my mediocre SAT score get in the way of an otherwise (what I believe to be) good application?
Thank you.
Brutally honest feedback is always appreciated 
For UCLA and Cal, and most likely USC, a 1410 isn’t going to cut it unless you’re going to be playing in a sport at the schools. Or perhaps apply for one of the less popular majors. Would need to see the rest of your profile to make a better determination.
That’s not necessarily your fault, it’s just a sign of the times with the high number of applications for each school.
What is your home state?
The UCs consider GPA a good deal more than SAT/ACT, and 1410 is within their 25/75 range, so I think you’re ok. More important with them is your GPA.
USC, Colgate and Pitzer likely put more weight on test scores than the UCs do.
Keep in mind that Colgate and USC are rah-rah sports schools with party reputations – and UCLA and Cal also have developed social and sports scenes – while Pitzer is kind of the odd one out in both regards.
Home state is California. Cumulative GPA is 4.17, Junior year is a 4.4
I knew USC was but was not aware about colgate. I appreciate the info.
ProfessorPlum168 That’s what I thought initially as well. However prepscholar indicates that the average for UCLA is 1370… although I assume that could do with the socio-economic backgrounds of applicants and such. Do you think a 1450 would give me that much of a better chance?
25th - 75th percentiles for SAT (2017) but not major specific so much will depend upon your intended major.
UCB: 1280-1490
UCLA: 1280-1500
Also as stated above, UC GPA is very important to the UC’s along with HS course rigor, EC’s and your personal insight essays. Your score is definitely in range but bumping it up will help your chances.
Everyone who got admitted into Berkeley from my kid’s HS had a SAT 1500 and up, but almost all were going in as STEM or Economics majors. I’m basing things a bit off of this. Once again though, without seeing your profile (UC GPA, intended major, ECs) it’s hard to say. Is the 4.17 your UC capped GPA? If you were applying for EECS or L&S CS or Econ at Berkeley, it’s very likely the 1410 wouldn’t cut it, but perhaps with other majors it might.