Imagine this hypothetical situation (or maybe it’s actually your current situation!):
You’ve decided whether you’re going to take the ACT or the Digital SAT;
You have your diagnostic score in hand; and
You have a general sense of which colleges you want to apply to.
Alrighty! Now you can actually hit the books and start studying for your chosen test, right?
Sorry, NOPE!
Before you embark upon the marathon—not sprint—of test prep, it’s very important that you establish a specific studying/testing goal. Sticking with the marathon analogy, you need an objective “finish line” so you know when you’re almost finished—and when you can finally put a bow on your DSAT/ACT studying and move onto other commitments (college essays, homework, prepping for that Spring debate tournament).
So what kind of “finish line” applies in test prep? It’s not just your actual test date! You need a marker of achievement that you can AIM for, and something that gives you the ability to pace yourself. You need something clear and concrete. In other words…you need a target score! The good news is that this article (and accompanying video) will teach you exactly how to find yours.
Article Contents
A. Video Version of this Article
B. Why Should I Find My Target Score?
C. How to Calculate YOUR Digital SAT or ACT Target Score
D. Conclusion
Watch this article as a video:
Why Do I Need a Target Score?
Many students, parents and other test prep companies think that “more” and “higher” is always better. But I’ll let you in on a little secret: driving yourself nuts with endless test prep and test sittings so you can finally secure a perfect score…does NOT guarantee a letter of acceptance from your dream college! Hundreds, if not thousands, of perfect 1600’s and 36’s get rejected from top schools. In contrast, I’ve helped students receive early admittance to Ivies with ACT scores of only 28/29! (I’ll admit it’s unusual, but it does happen.)
As a test prep expert for over 13 years now, I believe in efficiency. Working “smarter, not harder” not only makes the best use of your time and mine, but it helps keep you grounded and rested during a very busy few years, too! Because the truth is, you don’t need to be PERFECT in order to get into your dream school.
What you do need is to slightly exceed a certain threshold so that you’ve accessed the range of scores that are acceptable to your college list. Basically, you need to hit a score that opens the door to admissions, so that the rest of your application and WHO you are can do the “talking” and get you THROUGH that door. This “threshold” is what we call our target score!
In addition to getting you into your favorite colleges, figuring out your target score will ALSO make your junior and senior years way more bearable! Test prep can be exhausting and stressful. But you know what’s even MORE stressful? I’ll tell you: tearing your hair out because you’ve fixated on goals that are too high (i.e. “perfect,” which is the secret target score of everyone who doesn’t actually have one). When you subconsciously know you’ll never reach these goals (or not without an all-consuming amount of effort), it has a nasty effect on your mental health: Why even try?, you wonder bitterly as your stare at your prep book at 1am for the fourth night that week.
That’s a lose-lose situation, and I don’t want it to be your fate.
On the other hand, once you calculate an appropriate target SAT or ACT score, you may discover that you’re already much closer than you think to your dream school! That would be the opposite of deflating; it’s an exciting motivator. And if your practice/past scores fall farther from your target than you’d hoped? Well, that’s ok—because now you have the info you need to create a plan and put in the work to get there.
“Ok, so far so good, Kristina. I get why I need a target score. But how do I know what mine should be?!” Here’s my foolproof technique, my friend.
How to Calculate the Score You Need to Get on the Digital SAT or ACT
Draft a list of all the colleges and universities you think you’ll apply to.
Roll up your sleeves—it’s research time! Go to CollegeBoard.com, the colleges’ own websites, or use a guide like the Fiske Guide to colleges or CollegeData.com. Look for information that says “median SAT scores” or “median ACT scores” or “mid-range test scores” or “25–75 percentile test scores.”
Write down the score range you find for each college. These typically are meant to be the middle 50% of students who made up that college’s freshman class. This means that a fourth (25%) of the students scored below that range, and a fourth (25%) scored higher than that range.
Once you’ve completed your research, look at all the ranges together. Your goal is for your highest SAT/ACT score to fall WITHIN, or even on the higher end or above, all the ranges in your college list. What is the lowest score you could achieve and be within or above range for ALL your schools? THIS IS YOUR TARGET SCORE!
Conclusion
Woohoo! Once you’ve got your target score, studying gets so much easier, as you know precisely how much you need to improve. The best part? With your goal score in your back pocket, you can start ignoring all the bonkers “advice” you may hear from well-meaning peers at school (and their parents!) about taking it AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN for “just one more point.”
When you hit your target score, you can celebrate, relax—and cancel any further test sittings you have on the books!
As always, if you need help finding your target score, this is one of the EXACT things I do in an Ace the Test: Game Plan. In our session, I’ll set your target score FOR you, based on your unique needs and profile, then map out your path to hitting it…and getting into that top-pick school!
