Let’s say you’ve checked the following tasks off your list recently:
You’ve decided between taking the Digital SAT and the ACT;
You know what your diagnostic score is; and,
You have a general sense of which colleges you'll be applying to.
Woohoo! Time to jump in and start studying for your test of choice, right?
WRONG!
Before you begin what will likely be a marathon of test prep, it’s crucial that you get a firm grip on your specific studying/testing goal. To continue the marathon metaphor, you need a “finish line” so you know when the end is near—and when you’ve finished your SAT/ACT gauntlet and can move onto other things (College essays? Coursework? Prepping for that Spring piano recital?).
So what kind of “finish line” applies in test prep? It’s not just test day! You need something you can actually AIM for, and something that gives you the ability to pace yourself. You need something clear and concrete—something objective. In short…you need a target score! And after reading this here blog post, you’ll know exactly how to find yours.
Article Contents
A. Why Should I Find My Target Score?
B. How to Calculate YOUR Digital SAT or ACT Target Score.
C. Conclusion
Why Should I Find My Target Score?
Many students, parents and other test prep companies subscribe to the idea that “more” and “higher” is always better. But 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 get 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 professional for 13+ years now, I prioritize efficiency. Working “smarter, not harder” not only makes the best use of your time and mine, but it helps keep you sane 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 hit just beyond a certain threshold so that you’re in the window of scores that are acceptable to your college list. Basically, you need to secure 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 IN. This “threshold” is what we call our target score!
On the other hand, knowing your target score will make your junior and senior years way more psychologically/emotionally tolerable! Test prep can be grueling. But you know what’s even MORE grueling? Driving yourself nuts with goals that are too high (i.e. “perfect,” which is the secret target score of everyone who doesn’t actually have one), and you subconsciously know you’ll never reach them, so why even try? That’s a lose-lose situation. By figuring out an appropriate target SAT or ACT score for you to aim for, you may discover that you’re 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.
“Well, I’m with you so far, Kristina. That makes sense that I need a target score. But how the heck do I figure out what mine should be?!” Read on for my no-fail 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’re likely to 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!
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Woohoo! Once you’ve got your target score, studying gets infinitely easier, as you know exactly how far you need to improve. The best part? With your goal score in your back pocket, you can start ignoring all the bonkers “recommendations” 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’re done, you can confidently rejoice—and cancel any further test dates you have in the calendar!
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. When you book yours, 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 dream school!
