the South SAT Scores, GPA, and ACT (2026)
By the Cheetah Prep team · Reviewed July 15, 2026
SAT middle 50 percent
1260 to 1390
Half of enrolled students at the South scored in this range on the SAT. One quarter scored above 1390, and one quarter below 1260.
- Average composite
- 1344
- Acceptance rate
- 56.9%
- ACT range
- 27 to 31
- Test policy
- Test optional
- Location
- Sewanee, TN
- Undergraduates
- 1,607
the South SAT Scores and Admissions
The South SAT scores run a middle 50 band of 1260 to 1390, so a total inside that range keeps you squarely in the pool at The University of the South. Land near 1390 and you sit at the top edge of admitted students. Land near 1260 and you are at the lower quarter, in range but leaning harder on the rest of your file. The reported average total is 1344, which sits above the midpoint of that band and gives you a useful aim point.
About 56.9% of applicants get an offer, so this is a selective read but not a long shot for a strong file. The campus is small, with roughly 1607 students in Sewanee, a rural town on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. That scale means each application gets a close look, and a clear SAT number helps you stand out. As a private nonprofit university, the school reported a test optional policy in the most recent federal data, so you decide whether to send a score. If your total falls inside or above 1260 to 1390, sending it usually helps.
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the South SAT Score Breakdown by Section
Here is the section by section SAT profile of enrolled students at the South, from the federal College Scorecard.
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 640 | 710 |
| Math | 620 | 680 |
| CompositeTotal SAT | 1260 | 1390 |
The College Board reports section percentiles, not section averages, so an average is shown for the composite only.
Where this sits on the 400 to 1600 scale
1260 to 1390
the South Admissions Calculator: What Are Your Chances?
Enter your SAT score and unweighted GPA for an honest read on your chances of getting into the South, measured against real enrolled student data instead of a made up percentage.
No SAT score yet? Take the diagnostic and get a real number in about 25 minutes.
How this calculator works: your SAT is compared with the South's reported middle 50 percent range from the federal College Scorecard, your GPA is compared with the range admitted students at similarly selective schools typically present, and both are weighed against the school's real acceptance rate. We do not print a made up percent chance. No calculator can see your essays, your course rigor, or your recommendations, and at selective schools those decide close calls. Treat this as an honest read of your academic position, not a prediction.
Chances of Getting Into the South by SAT Score
Here is what specific scores mean at the South, based on its reported 1260 to 1390 middle 50 percent range. Find the row closest to your score, or use the calculator above for a read on your exact numbers. No made up percentages: each verdict is your real position in the enrolled class.
| SAT score | Where it lands | The honest read |
|---|---|---|
| 1110 | Well below the 25th percentile | A 1110 is well below the 1260 to 1390 range at the South. On testing alone this score does not keep the application in contention, so raising it is the priority. |
| 1210 | Just below the 25th percentile | A 1210 falls just short of the South's 25th percentile of 1260. Some students get in below the range, but they usually bring something exceptional elsewhere in the application. |
| 1330 | Inside the middle 50 percent | A 1330 sits inside the 1260 to 1390 range, matching the profile of enrolled students. This is a competitive score here. |
| 1390 | At the 75th percentile | A 1390 matches the 75th percentile at the South, stronger than about 3 out of 4 enrolled students. Testing is a clear strength at this level. |
| 1420 | Above the 75th percentile | A 1420 beats the 75th percentile at the South. The score is doing all it can; nothing more is gained by retaking. |
How to Raise Your SAT Score to the South's Range
The two targets that matter here are 1260, the score that puts you inside the admitted range, and 1390, the score that puts you in the top quarter. Here is the size of the jump from common starting points, with the step by step plan for each one.
| Starting score | To reach 1260 | To reach 1390 | The plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | +260 points | +390 points | All score plans |
| 1100 | +160 points | +290 points | 1100 to 1400 plan |
| 1200 | +60 points | +190 points | 1200 to 1400 plan |
| 1300 | Already there | +90 points | 1300 to 1400 plan |
Not sure where you stand today? The diagnostic gives you a real starting score and a section breakdown in one sitting, so the gap you plan around is your actual gap.
What SAT Score Do You Need for the South?
Read your total against the 1260 to 1390 band to see where you stand. Below 1260 and you are under the middle 50, which means the rest of your file has to do more work. Inside 1260 to 1390 puts you with the middle half of admitted students, a comfortable place to be. Above 1390 and you are in the top quarter, where your score stops being a question. The section splits tell you where the bar sits. Reading and Writing runs 640 to 710, while Math runs 620 to 680. That 30 point gap at both ends means Reading and Writing sets the higher bar here. A 700 in Reading and Writing reads as solid, while the same 700 in Math would sit above the top of that section band. The average total of 1344 shows most admitted students clear the midpoint on both sections rather than leaning on just one.
the South GPA Requirements
Admitted students at The University of the South typically present an unweighted GPA around 3.3 to 3.7. That band reflects the 56.9% admission rate more than any single cutoff, so treat it as a working target rather than a hard line. Grades matter, but so does the load behind them. A 3.5 in honors and AP classes carries more weight than a 3.7 from an easier schedule.
Rigor counts as much as the number itself. Readers want to see that you took the harder course when it was offered and still did well. If your GPA sits near the low edge of that 3.3 to 3.7 band, a strong SAT is the fastest way to offset it. A total near the 1390 top of the range can steady a transcript that dipped in one term or one subject. Grades and scores are read together, so a lift in one can carry a soft spot in the other.
Typical admitted GPA
Admitted students at the South typically present a GPA in the 3.3 to 3.7 range on an unweighted 4.0 scale. Solid grades with a clear upward trend read well, especially paired with a strong test score.
If your GPA sits at or below this range, a strong SAT score is the fastest way to stay competitive, since grades are hard to move late in high school. See where your SAT score really stands and build the plan around the gap.
These are unweighted grades on a 4.0 scale. A school that weights GPA or reports a different scale will show a higher number.
the South SAT Testing Policy
the South considered scores without requiring them (test optional) in the most recent federal data. Testing policies change year to year, so confirm the current 2026-2027policy on the school's admissions site before you decide whether to submit scores.
Should you submit your score?
Submit your score when it is at or above 1325, the middle of the South's range. If you are below 1260, the 25th percentile, consider holding your score and letting your grades, essays, and activities carry the application.
Last verified July 15, 2026
Should You Submit Your SAT Score to the South?
the South was test optional in the most recent federal data, which turns your score into a strategic choice. The folk theory that applying without scores signals weakness is overstated, but the math of what helps is simple: a score that lands inside or above the admitted range works for you, and a score well below it does not.
1330+
Submit
At or above the middle of the admitted range, submitting clearly helps. A real data point beats an open question.
1260 to 1330
Lean submit
Inside the range, most counselors say send it: you are within the profile of enrolled students, and holding it back leaves the reader guessing.
Below 1260
Usually hold it
Below the 25th percentile the score rarely helps at the South. Apply without it, or better, close the gap first. Scores can still matter for merit scholarships elsewhere on your list.
Policy as reported for the 2024-2025 cycle. We verified it against the South's own site, where any mid cycle change would appear first.
the South ACT Scores: Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
The middle 50 percent of enrolled students at the South scored between 27 and 31 on the ACT, alongside the 1260 to 1390 SAT range. Like nearly every US college, the South states no preference between the two tests. The right move is to take whichever test converts higher for you, using the official concordance below, and send that one.
| ACT composite | SAT equivalent |
|---|---|
| 31 | 1390 to 1410 |
| 30 | 1360 to 1380 |
| 29 | 1330 to 1350 |
| 28 | 1300 to 1320 |
| 27 | 1260 to 1290 |
| 26 | 1230 to 1250 |
SAT equivalents from the official College Board and ACT concordance tables. Highlighted rows fall inside the South's ACT middle 50 percent.
How to Get Into the South
Set your first target at the 25th percentile. A 1260 total keeps you inside the range, and a 640 in Reading and Writing plus a 620 in Math gets you there. To land in the top quarter, aim for 1390 or higher, which means about 710 in Reading and Writing and 680 in Math. Since Reading and Writing sets the higher bar, put your early hours there. A short diagnostic shows which section is costing you the most points right now, so you are not guessing. From there, our score plans map the weeks between your current total and 1390 into a clear order of topics. Track both sections separately so one does not hide the other. Your next step: sit a full length practice test, mark your Reading and Writing and Math totals against 1260 and 1390, and build your study weeks around the gap you find.
How Hard Is It to Get Into the South?
the South admits about 569 of every 1,000 applicants, and enrolls an undergraduate class of about 1,607. That ratio, not any single cutoff, is what makes the admitted profile look the way it does: when a school turns away 431 of every 1,000 people who apply, the students who get in cluster at the top of every measurable scale.
For perspective against the country as a whole: the South's 25th percentile score of 1260 already beats roughly 82% of all SAT takers nationally, and its 75th percentile of 1390 sits around the 93th percentile. A score that feels middling on this page is an excellent score almost anywhere else, which is worth remembering when you build the rest of your list.
Colleges Similar to the South: Reach, Match, and Safety Options
Real reported ranges from schools students often consider alongside the South, ordered by acceptance rate. Odds are compared on acceptance rate first, because a school with a lower SAT average can still be far harder to get into.
| School | SAT middle 50 percent | Acceptance rate | Odds vs the South |
|---|---|---|---|
| the South | 1260 to 1390 | 56.9% | This page |
| Vanderbilt | 1500 to 1570 | 5.9% | Harder to get into than the SouthSAT about 210 higher |
| Fisk | 1140 to 1510 | 37.4% | Harder to get into than the Southsimilar SAT range |
| Tennessee Knoxville | 1200 to 1370 | 41.6% | Harder to get into than the SouthSAT about 40 lower |
| Dickinson | 1310 to 1460 | 42.1% | Harder to get into than the SouthSAT about 60 higher |
| St Olaf | 1300 to 1470 | 48.3% | Similar oddsSAT about 60 higher |
| Rhodes | 1300 to 1486 | 50.3% | Similar oddsSAT about 68 higher |
How Recent Are These the South SAT Scores?
Every score, rate, and enrollment figure on this page comes from the US Department of Education College Scorecard, 2024-2025 release, the same federal dataset colleges report into. Testing policy reflects the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. This page was last reviewed July 15, 2026.
Score ranges quoted around the web for the South disagree with each other more than you would expect, usually because a site is quoting an older class or an unlabeled estimate. We publish the reported number, label the vintage, and update when the source updates. We also cross checked the South's own admissions site, where any change would appear first.
the South SAT Scores and GPA: Frequently Asked Questions
What SAT score do you need to get into the South?
the South's middle 50 percent SAT range is 1260 to 1390. Aim for at least 1260 to be competitive, and 1390 or higher to be a strong applicant. There is no hard cutoff, but a score in or above this range keeps your application in contention.
Is a 1260 a good SAT score for the South?
A 1260 sits at the South's 25th percentile, the lower edge of its middle 50 percent range of 1260 to 1390. It keeps you in range, but a score closer to 1390 makes your application stronger.
What is the average SAT score at the South?
The average composite SAT score at the South is 1344. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored between 1260 and 1390.
Does the South require SAT scores?
No. the South was test optional in the most recent federal data, so you can apply without SAT scores. Confirm the current 2026-2027 policy on the school's admissions site before you decide whether to submit.
Is the South test optional for 2026-2027?
the South was test optional in the most recent federal data, meaning you could apply without scores. Policies change year to year, so verify the 2026-2027 policy on the school's admissions site.
What ACT score do you need for the South?
the South's middle 50 percent ACT range is 27 to 31. Aim for at least 27 to be competitive and 31 or higher to be a strong applicant. A strong ACT can stand in for the SAT at the South.
What GPA do you need to get into the South?
Admitted students at the South typically present an unweighted GPA in the 3.3 to 3.7 range on the 4.0 scale, based on schools with a comparable acceptance rate. Grades earned in rigorous courses matter as much as the number itself, and a strong SAT score is the fastest way to offset a GPA at the lower edge of that range.
What is the South's acceptance rate?
the South admits about 56.9% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective. A strong SAT score still helps your application stand out, especially for selective majors, honors programs, and merit scholarships.
What are my chances of getting into the South?
the South admits about 56.9% of applicants, so your chances depend on where you sit against the admitted pool. The middle 50 percent of enrolled students scored 1260 to 1390 on the SAT and admitted students typically carry an unweighted GPA around 3.3 to 3.7. A score above 1390 puts you in the strongest quarter of the class on testing. Use the admissions calculator on this page to check your own SAT and GPA against the South's real numbers.
How can I raise my SAT score for the South?
Focus your prep on the section costing you the most points, then follow a study plan built for your target score range. Cheetah Prep has step by step score plans for specific point jumps and unlimited practice questions with worked solutions.
Does the South superscore the SAT?
Superscore policies vary by school and change year to year, and the South does not report this in the federal data. Check the school's admissions site for its current superscore policy, which tells you whether it combines your best section scores across test dates.
About this page: written and reviewed by the Cheetah Prep team. Last reviewed July 15, 2026.
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