I am currently applying to universities. However, I have become exceedingly discouraged to submit my applications due to my SAT score. My GPA is 4.0 and I am ranked 1 in my class. I have been involved in ASB all 4 years and am currently president of the group. Additionally, I have been a cheerleader for four years and have held a leadership position for two. My SAT score is 1250. Do I have a good chance of getting into an Ivy League school or should I completely give up in completing my application ?
You can submit your apps, but if you’re applying Ivy and have no hooks, 1250 is extremely low (most applicants will have 1400 or 1500+).
Make sure you have true match and safety schools you can afford and would be happy going to.
Congrats on your hard work and success!
Most students wish their SAT/ACT scores were higher, so you are in good company there. Will it affect admissions at Ivies? Maybe, but I doubt it in general, mostly because Ivy League RD admissions is so incredibly competitive in the first place. If everything else were the same but you had a 1550, you’d still be a long shot at Harvard or Yale (and the others) because acceptance rates are in the low single digits. The vast majority of fully qualified students cannot be accommodated. Quick example: at an info session at a tip-top LAC, they told us 70% of applicants were qualified and the school thought they would succeed academically and otherwise. They accepted 14% at the time, so 4 in 5 students they viewed as qualified were not accepted.
The fantastic news is that there are many, many world-class US universities that offer educations every bit as good as the Ivies. The vast majority would love to have you as a student. If you are concerned about your test scores, you might google “colleges that are test optional.” Some amazing schools are on that list. In most cases, they really do look at applicants equally.
Maybe you’;ll go to an Ivy, and that’d be great. There really are sooooo many other schools filled with amazing people–students, faculty, and staff–where you’d have the experience of a lifetime. Think of it this way, Wesleyan and Holy Cross are test optional and A+ schools. If they had been deemed Ivy League at some point, you’d be thrilled to attend them, as they are today. How much difference does that label really make?
Good luck!