Does Stanford require the SAT?
Yes. Stanford currently requires first-year applicants to submit an ACT or SAT score. The university says it has no preferred exam, no minimum test score for admission, and no score that guarantees admission.
What is Stanford's official SAT range?
Stanford reports that students in the Class of 2029 who submitted SAT scores had a middle-50% composite range of 1520 to 1570. Scores were optional for that class, so the range describes the students who chose to submit the SAT under the earlier policy; it is not a cutoff for applicants under the current required-testing policy.
How should you use Stanford's 1520-1570 range?
Treat 1520-1570 as context for the recent enrolled class, not as a promise or threshold. A score inside the range does not make admission likely by itself, and a score below it does not automatically remove an applicant from consideration. Stanford reviews testing alongside academic preparation and the rest of the application.
Can Stanford applicants self-report scores?
Yes. Applicants should self-report their highest ACT and/or SAT scores in the application. Official reports are not required for application review, but an admitted student who enrolls must send official results for every self-reported sitting.
Does Stanford superscore the SAT and ACT?
Yes. For the SAT, Stanford asks applicants to report their highest Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score and highest Math score across test sittings. For the ACT, applicants may report an ACT Superscore Composite alongside their highest Math, English, and Reading section scores across all test sittings.
What are Stanford's latest testing dates?
Stanford lists the end of October as the latest possible SAT sitting for Restrictive Early Action and the end of December for Regular Decision. The university recommends testing earlier because it cannot delay review while waiting for late scores.
What score should a Stanford applicant target?
Stanford does not publish a target or minimum. The 1520-1570 middle range is the most defensible benchmark for recent SAT submitters, but students should focus on a balanced application and interpret their scores in the context of their school and opportunities.
Stanford SAT summary
Stanford requires the SAT or ACT, allows self-reporting during the application, superscores the SAT, and accepts the ACT Superscore Composite. Its published middle-50% SAT composite range for Class of 2029 submitters is 1520-1570. Check Stanford's testing page again before applying because policies and deadlines can change by cycle.
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