<p>Could a perfect score on the SAT or ACT actually hurt you? I seem to see so many people with perfect scores rejected that I'm starting to wonder if maybe colleges reject these students because they want to make the point that perfect scores won't get you in. Even VERY highly qualified students who seem to have more than JUSTperfect test scores get rejected, while equally qualified people with 2200's get in instead... What do you think?</p>
<p>"Even VERY highly qualified students who seem to have more than JUSTperfect test scores get rejected, while equally qualified people with 2200's get in instead"</p>
<p>Yes, but they are equally qualified, so admitting the person with a 2200 is not "worse" than admitting the person with a 2400. And a high score, at that level, should not tip the applicant one way or the other; it should be other factors, such as essays, recommendations, etc. that help the applicant.</p>
<p>Well it can be detrimental in certain situations, because schools sometimes believe that they are not your top choice when you have such great stats. But for the most part, I highly doubt that a great testing score would hurt you unless you have no EC's</p>
<p>If you have really high standardized test scores and unusually low grades (e.g., 800 Math SAT but B-range grades in Math OR didn't follow the most challenging math curriculum), it doesn't reflect well on your work ethic.</p>
<p>in almost all cases, the answer is no.</p>
<p>^ I'd still rather have high SAT and low grades than low SAT and low grades</p>
<p>No. Many perfect scorers may get rejected from here and there, but you haven't seen the vast multitudes of average scorers that do far worse.</p>
<p>Agreed with Gryffon5147.</p>
<p>lol only CC would think a perfect SAT score hurts you.</p>
<p>haha no it would NOT hurt you at all...it would help you (although i c ur point I suppose)</p>
<p>I don't think a 36 has an impact...36's simply aren't as impressive as 2400's, and therefore people aren't that impressed by colleges 36-rejection rates.</p>
<p>The only school that really prides itself on its "We reject x% of 2400's" is Harvard, so yes, a 2390 might be a little better than a 2400, but a 2400 is still much better than anything significantly lower. (Like, under 2300)</p>
<p>what esteem would a school like harvard gain by turning away a 2400? it's not like it needs anything extra.</p>
<p>colleges don't reject kids on account of their own hubris, i would like to think they're more moral than that</p>
<p>I would prefer a 2390 actually for the same reason s snack said.</p>
<p>I think you guys are overanalyzing. I can't imagine why colleges would reject because an applicant is too good. Either way, it's a loss for that college. Once your scores are competitive, admission decisions come down to other factors.</p>
<p>Is this a serious question?</p>
<p>Colleges reject overly competitive applicants all the time. Its called "Tufts Syndrome" because Tufts was famous for rejecting people they felt used the university as a safety for the Ivies and eventually the prestige, rank, and test scores rose for the school. It was one of the best admissions ploys anyones ever pulled. It doesn't work as well now but ten years ago it worked like magic for Tufts and it is now no longer a safety for anyone.</p>
<p>Yes, but there is no one "overly competitive" for Harvard, so it makes no sense that they would reject a ton of 2400-scorers unless the rest of their application was really horrible.</p>
<p>exactly. You're supposing that there are two extremely well qualified applicants, one with 2400 and the other with 2380. And they're gonna ding the 2400? No way. They'll turn around and look at their stack of 2200s and dump one of those or find another slot somewhere else. </p>
<p>I seriously doubt any school boasts in the number of perfect ACT/SAT rejects -- it's really a line used to emphasize that viable candidates need more than very strong scores-- that they will look at the app file holistically. I WISH I had a 2400! My scores were about the 50% percentile of my admitting class at one of the HYPS schools. My ACTs were even lower! Yikes!</p>
<p>LOL: like an earlier poster wrote: "Only on CC"</p>
<p>"The only school that really prides itself on its "We reject x% of 2400's" is Harvard, so yes, a 2390 might be a little better than a 2400, but a 2400 is still much better than anything significantly lower. (Like, under 2300)"</p>
<p>It is really stupid to think that scoring high on your SAT can hurt your admission. It will never hurt you. You being you; the higher the SATs the better probability you have of getting into any universities.</p>
<p>Many people who get into Harvard with an SAT score around 2000-2300 often have other things going for them besides test scores... for every person that has a perfect SAT score, great EC's, great grades, etc.. there is another person with a perfect SAT score who is lackluster in these other areas.. most people in this group would not get into Harvard.</p>
<p>I agree with s snack above. I think the best SAT score is a 2390. Some people tend to have a cognitive bias/backlash against perfection - but that's only normal.</p>