1480 SAT - an inspirational story

I recently read an inspiring story shared by Trevor Moawad in his book It Takes What It Takes. He tells the story of a young man on the verge of flunking out of high school. This young man had begun hanging out with the wrong crowd, skipping class, and his future looked bleak. Raised by a single mother who wanted the best for him, she insisted he take the SAT during his junior year. A few months later, he received a score of 1480. To put it into perspective, a perfect SAT score is 1600, and 1480 places you in the 98th percentile of all high school students.

Knowing her son well, his mother’s first response was, "Did you cheat?” His reply was a classic: "Mom, I tried, but I couldn't; the way the test was set up, there was no way I could.” At least he was honest.

The SAT score changed his life. He began to see himself differently, started attending class, stopped hanging with the wrong crowd, and sat in the front row of his classes.  He graduated from high school, went to community college, then Wichita State University, before attending an Ivy League school. He later became a successful magazine entrepreneur. All he needed was that SAT score to start believing in himself.

Twelve years later, he received a letter from Princeton, NJ, stating that the SAT board had done a periodic review and discovered he was one of 13 people who had been sent the wrong score. His actual score was 740 out of 1600. Many thought this news would crush his confidence, but it didn’t. In fact, he said, "People think my whole life changed when I got the 1480, but what happened was my whole life changed when I started acting like a 1480." 

What truly changed his life wasn’t the SAT score, but the belief it sparked in him about his potential. That belief unlocked his future.

This got me thinking: What do we need to believe in ourselves to unlock the potential within? How would our lives change if we found that one thing? It dawned on me—God’s word already tells us we are capable of so much more than any test score or earthly success. I came across some remarkable truths I had forgotten. For example, did you know God’s Word tells us not to fear over 300 times? So, stop worrying about your identity, and remember that God controls everything. Remind yourself daily: "We can do all things because Christ gives us strength."

In the book of Genesis, God says we were "created in His image." Jesus tells us we are the "light of the world" in Matthew’s Gospel. My favorite verse is Romans 8:15-16, where Paul says we are no longer slaves to fear but children of God.

Today, you don’t need a 1480 on your SAT to achieve great things. You just need to believe in who God says you are and live according to His promises. Start today by believing and acting like you are who God says you are—and know that you can do all things through Him.

Peace be with you.