the SAT's of today are thought of to be easier than yesteryear... if that is a word. I believe the averages are out there on various websites if you wanna search out for them.
Most theorists think the increased scores are due to either more preparation or an easier test. More preparation is deemed because of awareness and attitude changes. More people want to get into college and more people know that this is one of the steps into succeeding in everyday America. The easier test theory is based on the test is biased towards economically challenged people. Lower test scores in bad neighborhoods mean less people go to college and less opportunities for these people. and yada yada yada...
Since the SAT has so many problems...the ACT's are becoming a better option for some especially for the more specialized schools (tech, science, etc.)
I did well in the SAT's (740 Math and 560 Verbal) and had over a 4.0 overall high school gpa but this STILL did not help me too well in College. I tried out chemical engineering and then switched to chemistry after falling on my face after 3 years. I eventually graduated with a Chem degree with around a 2.5 gpa from Maryland. I now work for a contractor for the FDA making less than what Alex Rodriguez makes in a day.
My bro in law got a 900 in the SAT's went to a community college for 2 years and then transfered to UMCP graduated in 3 more years. He had around a 3.0 High School GPA. His college GPA was 3.5 at the community college and 3.2 at UMCP. He now makes 500k a year doing financial advising. Go figure.
Test scores and for that matter high school don't mean Sh*T.