Is a 1400 a Good SAT Score?

Which colleges does a 1400 fit?

Think in three groups. For many state flagships and a lot of private colleges, a 1400 is at or above the upper end of the middle-50% range, which makes it a real plus. For many selective colleges, it sits inside the range: helpful, but not what sets you apart. For the most selective schools, whose middle ranges often start near or above 1450, a 1400 is on the low side, and your grades, courses and essays will have to carry more of the weight.

Don’t guess which group a college is in. Look up its middle-50% range on its admissions page or in its Common Data Set (section C9) and compare.

Retake or move on?

• Move on if a 1400 is at or above the middle of the range for most of your list. Extra points rarely change much at that point, and the hours are worth more on essays and grades.
• Retake if your reach schools report ranges that start above 1400, you have six or more weeks, and you know what to fix. Students who already score this well usually gain by fixing a few repeat errors, not by relearning content.
• Check superscoring. If your colleges combine your best section scores across dates, one more sitting has little risk.

Getting from 1400 to 1500

Those 100 points move you from the 93th to the 97th percentile. They usually come from three places:

1. The harder second module. At this level you are probably getting the harder module 2. That is where the tough questions are, so practice those question types under time.
2. Uneven sections. If one section is 40 or more points behind, spend most of your time there. A 650 Math is at the 84th percentile; a 750 is at the 95th.
3. Careless errors. Keep a miss log for two practice tests. Most strong students find that a few habits, like misreading the question or rushing the last few, cost them the most.

Use the official Bluebook tests for your full-length practice, then try our free SAT practice questions and the SAT Math clinic, and set up a study plan.

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