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What to Do if Your SAT Scores are Bad

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Written by CB Experts

If your SAT scores are not as high as you wanted them to be, don’t panic. You can still get into a good college. In fact, you can even still apply to your dream school.

Here is some good advice for those of you who did not ace the SAT.


First breathe. The SAT is only one part of an application that contains a lot of other information: teacher recommendations, grades, your transcripts, your resume, and your essays.
Next, DO NOT
• Write your personal essay to excuse your poor score. Write what you had planned before you got your scores and sell yourself.
• Refuse to send out your application to your reach schools. Some of those reach schools look at the whole student, not just at the student’s scores.

DO take steps to help you balance out your SAT score:
• Ask your guidance counselor to write in his/her recommendation an explanation of the kind of student you are and why that score does not reflect the whole you.
• Write a supplemental essay that explains why you did not do better; just don’t whine.
• Look for colleges that do not require you to submit your SATs.
• Retake the SAT again, or even a third time.

Never accept defeat and do picture yourself as more than a test score. Colleges want student applicants who can persevere and show confidence.

About the author

CB Experts

Content created by retired College Admissions consultants.