<p>That only makes me more sad, though, because I'm going to have to compete with those guys in the RD pool.</p>
<p>Based on someone's idea on this thread I came up with a reasonable explination for the high SAT scores. So as mentioned by someone it mantains the range of half the people within that score the more they accept with a higher score the higher the range is. The higher the range is the which means less people would apply and therefore a higher admittance rate which ultimately as most of you know it would affect the university in a handful of ways. I'm sure if this is it... they know that most people who score a 2150 are capable of performing just as good in school as the kids with a 2350 so if two applications look identical (same amount of ECs and same grades) and ones got a 2150 they would accept the 2150. This seems pretty plausible to me</p>
<p>I just don't see it. If two applications came in that were the exact same but one had 200 more points than another on the SAT they would take the one with the higher score. They're looking to form the best possible class they can (within their subjective minds) and I don't see them screwing more qualified students over because they're looking at their SAT 50% range...</p>
<p>Yeah, and besides since it's ED, it wouldn't be a problem of matriculation so I don't see why they'd take the high scorer if everything was the same. They won't exactly lose him/her to another school.</p>
<p>It's more likely for someone's SAT scores to be the same, with everything else being different, than for everything to be the same, but different standardized test scores.</p>
<p>Every factor is taken into account- quality/passion in essays, recommendations, high school, exact rank, personal background. </p>
<p>With so many other factors taken into account, why would they simply choose the higher SAT score?</p>
<p>2250 deferred form wharton</p>
<p>ummm i have a theory for the trend [haha not again. sorry.]</p>
<p>i was thinking perhaps for Upenn or other ivys, the SATs are just used as a TOOL to evaluate your apititude and your percentage among the general country's population [because if you come from a really good school and you're in lik the top 20%, you might still be better than someone in the top 5% from a mediocre school] so if you get above 2000..you'd probably be in the top 10% of the nation and that's all they're looking for.</p>
<p>So the differences above that like a 2100 vs a 2300 might just become numerical values and do not hold that much weight [do not get me wrong, i personallly think it's a HUGE difference to get a 2300 compared to a 2100...it's really not easy. at all.]</p>
<p>and maybe scores that are less than ideal..maybe under 2000 (or not in top 10% nationally), might cause the admin to be more stringent on the checking of their applications to find aspect that really STAND OUT so as to admit them. this might be the usage of SATS.</p>
<p>as for those with the lower end of the 2000 spectrum (work to their advantage eventually), having the notion that high SATS score is paramount to getting into an ivy..(but not having it) might spur them on to try and form a UNIQUE SELLING POINT in their applications in hope to tip the admins to acceptance and that's how they probably stood out if the admins were using SAT simply as a general gage. and perhaps for those who have all the stats in place..the need for the 'unique selling point' decrease and therefore went for the 'im all roundedly well' approach.</p>
<p>sorry if i come off as being presumptous and make too sweeping assumptions. i really don't mean to but like alll theories, there are bound to be limitations. </p>
<p>and finally [dude ok this is realllly long], from a person with less-than-ideal stats, i REALLY<--for real! do admire all of you for u know all the presidents n high scores n high gpa and everything seriosuly it is SUPER TOUGH. [so uh yea not going to do the whole 'im sure u'll get into somewhere great thing' cause really i know that's not going to help at all] just know that what you guys have achieved, it's amazing.</p>