<p>So, I’m not a parent, but I’m asking this question here: why do people expect students with 2400s (or nearly so) to get in everywhere they apply?</p>
<p>The reason I think that 2400-odd scores don’t get you everywhere is because colleges have picked up that a 2400 indicates a high degree of discipline. It doesn’t indicate passion, or outside interests, it indicates discipline, and colleges want more than discipline and hard work. What’s so interesting about a hard worker? Colleges want far, far more than hard work, and I don’t think extracurriculars or community service is very helpful either. It’s been my experience that it’s two things that communicate passion and interest and real, unvarnished life:</p>
<li><p>Essays. If you have to go through a professional to edit your essays, I, personally, don’t think you ought to get into anywhere in the first place. Essays ought to come from the heart, and if they don’t, well, then, what gives you the right to mislead a college into thinking you do have heart?</p></li>
<li><p>DEPTH of EC’s. Endless numbers of EC’s, and countless hours spent on activities that don’t actually interest you, are quite frankly counterproductive. Talk to people who share your interests, discover something that interests you, personally, and play around with it: have fun with it. Work hard on it, yes, but not because you ought to, but because you want to. Demonstrate passionate involvement, and colleges will figure it out.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>So, I’m curious for your opinions: what’s so great about a 2400-ish score?</p>
<p>Nothing, it didn't get me accepted to HYPS. I agree with you about depth of ECs being more important...however I would have to say that recommendations are more influential than essays.</p>
<p>Well, I chose my words carefully: recs can be very influential in painting an applicant a certain way. Colleges look at guidance counselor recs to learn the context of the student's accomplishments. In that sense, the rec holds a lot of influence over how the student is viewed.</p>
<p>While I certainly agree that high scores are not enough (and should not be enough) to get students admitted "anywhere," it is unfair to say that top scores signal nothing more than discipline and hard work. Very high scores communicate the test taker's intelligence as well as a measure of poise under pressure.</p>
<p>Mallomar, I'll point out that scores considerably above 2200 get you money, if nothing else. Wjb, I concur that it indicates a high degree of intelligence, but I think colleges are looking for more than test-taking ability these days.</p>
<p>Absolutely, colleges are looking for far more than test-taking ability. That said, the common wisdom (till this admissions cycle, anyway) has been that HYPSM accepted roughly half of all perfect scoring applicants. I don't know whether that percentage held during this brutal admissions year. But even if it's down, the admissions rate for top scorers is undoubtedly higher than the 8-10% general admission rate at HYPSM. Of course, the higher rate at which perfect scorers are admitted is likely attributable in large part to the other assets they bring to the table (grades, ECs, recs, etc.). But I think that, even in this ultra-competitive period, a really good score (not necessarily a perfect score) still gives the applicant the advantage of a really good look.</p>
<p>The top schools get applicants from all sorts of different backgrounds who are highly, highly qualified. Applicants have astounding ECs but in different areas, and it can be a tough choice. One of the few or the only thing the college might have to compare the two students on an equal footing is SAT scores. Sure, they had differnet oppurtunities going into it, but they took the same test (or same type of test) and one achieved a couple hundreds points higher. Deal maker. </p>
<p>For point 1, having a professional edit essays does not at all take away from it coming from the heart. I want to be an English major, but suppose I was studying chemistry and writing wasn't my strength? I could write a great essay from the heart but not be sure of the best sentence structure or how to phrase things. It could still be a great essay from my heart and be professionally edited. Your first point is much like saying someone publishing an autobiography should not have it edited.</p>
<p>^Haha, you have to work hard to get those other accomplishments. A 2400 takes much less training and perseverance. While I value intelligence, I definitely would look for evidence of passion and effort as well...for now I would have to say that I respect the accomplishment of climbing Everest more.</p>
<p>SAT: 1920
ACT: 32
SAT II: English (640), Math II (610), US History (540)
Weighted GPA: 3.8-something
Total AP Courses: 2</p>
<p>Not very impressive score-wise. However, when you take a look at the major I selected (Psychology), along with the community service (710 hours of being a peer counselor and working at a non-profit clinic), and the essays (focusing on my clubs, community service, and father going to Iraq), it all added up, and got me admission into UCSD. Not one the <em>top</em> schools, but still high up there. :)</p>
<p>As others have already said, a 2400 just shows that you went to the SAT Prep classes. :P That, or you're very, very smart... but usually it's the former.</p>
<p>People with 2400s get in, people with 2400s don't get in, people without 2400s get in, people without 2400s don't get in. </p>
<p>This indicates that at some level the application is looked at as more than a score. I would say around 2200 but the math and critical reading seem to be taken more seriously than writing. A decent 700s score on all of them doesn't seem to hurt people even if it isn't an 800. At some point they look at the ECs and the essays. They are looking for a record of extraordinary accomplishments. A 2400 may be part of (note: part of - it can't be the only "hook") this, but certainly there are people with this record that get accepted and DON'T have a 2400. The high school transcript is also extremely important, as is what people think of you (recommendations). </p>
<p>Conclusion: A 2400 won't hurt you at all, but isn't a hook in and of itself. When people have high abilities, not to mention resources, they want to see you use them to help others and to continue to improve yourself. This is something anyone should strive for anyway. You don't want to paint the picture that you're so much smarter than everyone else and just sort of sat back and breezed through life. Of course no one would conciously put that in their app (hopefully, though who knows?), but there are lots of subtle places where there's potential for that to come across as the admissions officer gets a "feel" for applicant, and if that's a subconcious attitude that you take that could happen. </p>
<p>If it were to come down to two identical people for one spot, and one has a 2400 and one a 2200, then I guess they would have to give it to the 2400. But realistically, I really doubt it often comes down to two identical applicants.</p>
<p>Yup, that was the case with my school's valedictorian, that was the case with my friend's school's valedictorian... and like I said in the rest of that post, some people are naturally intelligent and can ace the test without having to prep for days and days, but from what I've seen, it's usually when people study like crazy and pay for those special courses. Otherwise, they would have scored high, but wouldn't have scored perfectly.</p>
<p>Yeah I agree with Silverskinz...I actually go to high school with SAT test takers so I think I have firsthand knowledge of the type of person who aces tests.</p>
<p>I think a 2400 score can sometimes indicate an obsessive/compulsive personality. Someone who spends way too much time perfecting a "number." Almost pathological.</p>