A 1520 on the SAT is in the 98th percentile among recent SAT users — a highly competitive SAT score. A high national SAT score that may fall within the reported range at many selective universities. Compare it with each institution's current data.
Compare this score with college target ranges →
Percentile source: College Board SAT-user percentiles.
Submit broadly, then compare the most selective schools one by one.
A retake can make sense when your score is below a target college's reported midpoint and recent timed practice tests are repeatedly 30–50 points higher.
Section scores are reported in 10-point increments. One valid, balanced planning split for a 1520 is:
You can model different section splits using the free SAT score calculator.
At each of these colleges, a 1520 falls inside the current published middle-50% SAT range of enrolled students:
These are comparison starting points, not admission predictions. Testing policies and score ranges change, and colleges also consider grades, course rigor, essays, activities, and institutional priorities.
Target the hardest question types in both Reading & Writing and Math. Practice timed modules so you reach the harder Module 2 consistently.
Start by taking a full-length SAT practice module and logging which question types you miss. Then drill those exact skills in the SAT question bank.
Priority: Convert strong into elite. You likely know the core content. The fastest gain is cleaning up the hardest version of each skill and reducing the number of questions you guess between two close choices.
| If your next report shows... | Do this before retesting |
|---|---|
| Math is lower than Reading and Writing by 40+ points | Run two Math domain drills, then a timed Math module. |
| Reading and Writing is lower by 40+ points | Split practice between Standard English Conventions and evidence/inference drills. |
| Both sections are balanced but below target | Alternate full timed modules with narrow review sets from the bank. |
| Most misses are careless or from rushing | Add a checkpoint plan and practice leaving two minutes for flagged questions. |
One valid balanced 1520 split is 760 in Reading & Writing and 760 in Math. Other combinations work if each section is a 10-point score between 200 and 800 and the two sections add to 1520.
College Board's current SAT-user table places a 1520 in the 98th percentile. SAT-user percentiles compare you with students who took the SAT in the most recent three graduating classes.
A 1520 falls inside the current published middle-50% SAT range at schools such as Bowdoin College, Wellesley College, Emory University. Use those ranges as starting points — a 1520 alone cannot predict admission.
Target the hardest question types in both Reading & Writing and Math. Practice timed modules so you reach the harder Module 2 consistently.
A 1520 does not map to one fixed missed-question count. SAT scoring depends on question difficulty, adaptive routing, and equating, so use the detailed score report for the actual test instead of estimating misses from the total.
Submit broadly, then compare the most selective schools one by one. A retake can make sense when your score is below a target college's reported midpoint and recent timed practice tests are repeatedly 30–50 points higher.