SAT Scores for Admission to Top Pennsylvania Colleges

What SAT scores do you need to get into one of the top Pennsylvania colleges and universities? This side-by-side comparison shows scores for the middle 50% of enrolled students. If your scores fall within or above these ranges, you're on target for admission to one of these top colleges in Pennsylvania.

Top Pennsylvania Colleges Score Comparison (mid 50%)
(Learn what these numbers mean)

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ACT Scores for Admission to Top Pennsylvania Colleges

By Allen Grove

*Note: Dickinson College, Franklin and Marshall College, Gettysburg College, Juniata College are not included in this table due to their practice of test-optional admissions.

Keep in mind that the numbers in the table represent the boundaries for the middle 50 percent of admitted students. You will be most competitive for admission if your scores fall within or above these ranges. That said, if your scores are a little below the lower number, don't give up hope. 25 percent of applicants scored at or below the lower numbers.

Holistic Admissions

It's also important to remember that all of these top Pennsylvania colleges and universities have holistic admissions. The admissions folks will be evaluating you as a whole person, not as a table of numerical data. Precise requirements will vary from college to college, but a winning essay, meaningful extracurricular activities and good letters of recommendation can often help make up for SAT scores that are a little less than ideal.

The most important piece of your application will be your academic record, A good record, however, is about more than high grades. The admissions office will want to see that you have challenged yourself and succeeded in demanding, college preparatory classes in core subjects. Your AP, IB, Honors, and dual enrollment classas can all play an important part in the admissions equation.

Test-Optional Colleges

More and more colleges across the United States have come to the conclusion that a high-pressure exam you take on a Saturday morning isn't a useful measure of who you are or what you can do. Pennsylvania has many test-optional colleges. Four are identified in the table above—Dickinson, Franklin and Marshall, Gettysburg, and Juniata. These schools did not report their SAT scores to the Department of Education because test-optional schools are not required to do so.

A few test-optional colleges did report their scores, but this does not mean you need to send your SAT scores when applying. Allegheny College, Muhlenberg College, and Ursinus College all have test-optional policies. You should submit your SAT scores only if you think they will strengthen your application.

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics