How Colleges Use SAT/ACT Scores in 2025 Admissions
Understanding how admissions offices actually use your test scores helps you make strategic decisions about testing.
Holistic Review
Most selective colleges use holistic admissions. Test scores are one factor among many, including GPA, essays, activities, and recommendations.
Score Bands
Admissions officers often think in score bands rather than exact numbers. The difference between a 1480 and 1500 is negligible. The difference between 1350 and 1450 matters more.
Superscoring
Many colleges take your best section scores across multiple test dates. This means each sitting only needs to improve one section to help your superscore.
