Find out more about J&J Education’s expert SAT tutors here. Through J&J, you will work 1:1 with a specialist SAT tutor who will help you with all sections of the SAT exam. They include SAT specialists from Stanford, Yale, Harvard and more.

We recommend taking lots of practice SAT tests under time conditions, as well as setting up private SAT tutoring with J&J to boost your score. 

There are three categories of requirement for the SAT test and other similar standardised tests. Test blind universities won’t look at your SAT test score and will review your application without taking this data into account. SAT test optional schools, applicants can decide whether or not to submit an SAT score and it will be taken into account as part of their application should they do so. Then there are schools which require an SAT (or ACT) test score for all applicants to apply and who will use the score as part of the admissions process. (It’s worth noting that test blind schools may use your SAT scores for other purposes than admissions, such as course assignment.)

The next international SAT tests are on the following dates: August 24th 2024, October 5th 2024, November 2nd 2024, December 7th 2024, March 8th 2025, May 3rd 2025 and June 7th 2025.

The precise answers will depend on your circumstances, but generally our advice is usually yes - if you think you can gain a competitive score. Admissions officers will look holistically at your application, yet many fellow applicants will have taken the SAT test, especially for more competitive schools, and this is an added place to demonstrate your abilities. We’d suggest attempting an SAT test early on in the admissions cycle to see your score, prepare for that test thoroughly and then make an informed decision. Some schools, including MIT, have now moved back to requiring SAT scores for all applicants.

For Ivy League schools, average SAT scores to be competitive range from around 1500-1550. 

Here’s a more of an overview of average SAT scores for Ivy League and other US universities:
The average SAT score for Yale is 1460 - 1580
The average SAT score for Stanford is 1470 - 1570
The average SAT score for Princeton is 1450-1570
The average SAT score for UPenn is 1500-1560
The average SAT score for New York University (NYU) is 1300-1530 
The average SAT score for Columbia is 1510-1560
The average SAT score for Dartmouth is 1440-1560
The average SAT score for Brown is 1480-1560

Super-scoring on the SAT test means you can take the SAT multiple times and declare your highest scores from each section.

The SAT is scored on a 1600 point scale and is split into two sections: the SAT math section has up to 800 points and the SAT evidence-based reading and writing section has up to 800 points. 1600 represents a perfect SAT score.

Taking the SAT test several times is often a sensible strategy - you’ll be able to show growth and improvement across time. And don’t worry, many students take the SAT test more than once - a common approach which is accepted and even encouraged by lots of US colleges. The overwhelming majority of students increase their scores on the second and third attempts.

The SAT is composed of two sections: Reading and Writing, and Math. You have 64 minutes to complete the Reading and Writing section and 70 minutes to complete the Math section.

The Reading and Writing component has 54 questions, and the Math component has 44 questions. Thus compared to the ACT, the SAT allowed 68% more time per each question.