Ahh! comparing GPA to SAT scores makes no sense!

<p>Ok, ive been going through this site a lot lately, and you find a lot of ppl with 4.0 GPAs but around 1800 or so/2400 on their SATs.
Of course almost everyone tells them same thing, "your schools gpa is inflated" or something of the the sort that implies that the kid goes to a really easy school to get good grades at.
Maybe this is just me, but I think that its complete bs. I mean just by getting low SAT scores it says the students stupid and that he goes to an easy school? Anyone can memorize a couple of hundreds of words, learn the write technique to a write a proper essay, and answer 9th grade math and can probably score over 2000+, but getting a 4.0 no matter at what school still takes much more effort in my opinion.
I dont have 2100+ SAT scores, but I do have a 4.0 Gpa, which i am proud of. And a lot of ppl seem to say that a kids school is hard if he got over 2200 and he has a 3.0 Gpa. I know complete idiots that got over 2100, but i also do know genius' that cant get over 1800.
Maybe what I'm saying is complete nonsense, but I just really wanted to express what I felt lol....enjoy :P</p>

<p>Um ... if anyone can memorize a couple of hundred words, learn how to write an essay, and do 9th grade math, then why can't you?</p>

<p>Why do you have a 4.0 GPA if you can't do 9th grade math and if you can't write an essay?</p>

<p>"Anyone can memorize a couple of hundreds of words, learn the write technique to a write a proper essay, and answer 9th grade math and can probably score over 2000+"</p>

<p>"i also do know genius' that cant get over 1800. "</p>

<p>Huh?</p>

<p>"Um ... if anyone can memorize a couple of hundred words, learn how to write an essay, and do 9th grade math, then why can't you?</p>

<p>Why do you have a 4.0 GPA if you can't do 9th grade math and if you can't write an essay?"</p>

<p>These are interesting questions. If the SAT is such an easy test, why not just ace it?</p>

<p>The profiles I paste here(taken from other parts of cc) will be useful to the debate here. Juggieburger, I think SAT1 definitely doesnt demonstrate intelligence for the few ppl who, although really smart, cannot score high on this 3 hour test.</p>

<p>By the way, the 2 ppl below got accepted to harvard.</p>

<p>Decision: Accepted
Stats:
SAT I: 620 CR, 630 M , 660 W---1910
SAT IIs: 630 MathII, 610 US History, 650 Lit
GPA: ~4.4 (have gotten all A's in every class in high school with 14 APs (including present classes))
Rank: Valedictorian (1 out of 288?) #2 is like a 3.8!!
Other stats: Many National Latin Awards (including Gold on NLE and bronze on Medusa), Numerous student of the Year awards from Governor's School program, many track and cross country awards and medals, MVP,etc. 2 Certamen state titles (3rd place).
5s on AP US, AP Calc AB, 4 on AB Calc BC, AP Gov't, AP Euro, AP Environmental
EC- Cross Country (Captain), Indoor Track (Captain), Outdoor Track (Captain), Envirothon (Co-Captain), Latin Club, Certamen (5 year captain starting in eighth grade), Academic Team, National Honor Society (Vice-President), Virginia Math League, Major Volunteer Work with a Community Center (300 hours?)</p>

<p>Hook (if any): Conducted a 4 year research project on early foreign language introduction (Latin)/language accquistion/teaching methods. Created a lesson plan for a elementary Latin program---- Presented my findings to the school board (they accepted my proposal) ---and I will be working with the school board this summer to officially design the program in my county.
I also overcame a hip condition to become one of the best distance runners in my area and at the state level. (But I am NOT a recruited athlete)
Location/Person:
State or Country: Virginia
School Type: Really crappy public high school for half the day, prestigious, nationally recognized Governor's School for the other half of the day
Ethnicity: White, middle-class
Gender: Male
Perceived Strengths/Weaknesses: Strengths: extremely well-rounded, many many awards (even if they are not national), perfect GPA, overcame potential disability to become the best, strong research project, Nearly perfect interview ---Weaknesses: SATs (need I say anymore, I am a BAD test taker-- but who cares if I can't do geometry if I can get a 5 on the AP Calc Exam)</p>

<p>I hope my acceptance goes to show that colleges do look beyond relatively low SATs scores. I don't think SATs show actual intelligence in a lot of cases (other than those people who flat out get 800s without even studying ), rather time to study and resources to prep classes/courses... I didn't have the time to study for SATs at all and I expressed this in my interview! (but I wouldn't suggest that anyone else say this in an interview,,, it was just appropriate in my case and interview situation</p>

<p>Decision: Accepted
Stats:
SAT I: 610V; 690M; 640W--1940
SAT IIs: French w/ Listening (480); Math 2C (690); US History (770)
ACT
GPA: 4.45 - 4.0 (unweighted)
Rank: top 2%; class of 472
Other stats: AP US History - 5
Subjective:
Essays: emotional & uplifting
Teacher Recs: didn't read - neither teacher has ever written a rec for an Ivy League before - 1 of the teacher was a 2nd year teacher (taught me in her 1st year)
Counselor Rec: didn't read - 2nd year counselor but she still knew me pretty well despite the large number of students
Hook (if any): live on my own; asian not interested in science; geographic location; crappy school; 1st person in family to go to college
Location/Person:
State or Country: southern VA
School Type: large & rural - no one has ever made it to an Ivy League, most drop out/go to community college; only top 50% take SAT (avg 961)
Ethnicity: SE Asian - Vietnamese
Gender: female
Perceived Strengths/Weaknesses: essays / College Board hates me - in all fairness, I only took the SAT I twice & the SAT IIs once. As for the French SAT score, I have taken French for 5 years and have always been top in my class. Unfortunately, French is not considered to be my school's top priority so a French 5 at my school is equivalent to, at most, French 3 at other schools.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: the adcoms are in the holiday spirit
Other Factors: jobs take up a big part of my ecs. I worked 3 jobs in the summer - 2.5 (newspaper carrier is the .5) during school year (~40 hrs/week)
General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: I was really afraid of posting my stats bc it was so undeserving compared to everyone else's. To those who got deferred/rejected, my best wishes go to you guys, but you probably won't need it. I know you'll succeed wherever you will be.</p>

<p>Im in international student btw, I take math in arabic. Frankly, Im really proud of my SAT score, I go to an all arabic school, and I even take math in arabic. So not getting over 2100+ isnt that bad. Just for the record i got 12 on the essay and 700 in writing, when I never studied english at school I think thats saying something that the SAT is complete Bull (or maybe im just smart :P) and who said I cant do 9th grade math and write an essa? i got 12 and over 700 on writing and math, but Ive never studied in english in my life, first time i took it I practically failed, I didnt do well on CR though cause well Im not going to waste time memorizing words, i think my score is good enough.
abouttime, thank you! finally someone sees my point.</p>

<p>im have high GPA and low SAT as well (1700 ish :O) but it really doesnt mean my school is easy...becuase i do put alot of effort into my school work. (the reason why im getting such a bad sat score is becuase == IDont study for it..)</p>

<p>I have a low GPA (3.9ish) but okay SAT scores (2220) but my school is very not competitive...everyone gets 1500's or lower. How will that reflect on me? My high school is very bad and only like 1/4 of the students even take the SAT but I happened to do well on them. I guess the correlation isn't always there since a lot of people at my school have good GPA's but very low SAT scores.</p>

<p>I am 2nd in my class with a 4.37/4.5 GPA. I got A's in geometry and Precalculus, A+ in algebra II and now am getting A's in AP Calc. My teachers consider me an excellent writer and i did really well on that portion of the test. I only got a 2140 on the SAT. Big freakin' deal!!! Like you, i know a complete idiot who got a near 2400. It's a meaningless 4 hour test that tests nothing more than endurance. Brown recognizes that a fairly low SAT score doesn't mean that you're an idiot. Maintaining a good GPA is something you work at for years whereas the SAT is just one test on one day. GPA represents much more acurately who you are as a student.</p>

<p>First off, let me say that I have about a 4.9 or so GPA (never had a B) and a 2320 SAT.</p>

<p>I'm a large proponent in the theory that the SAT does show how smart a candidate is. Because of the variable instruction and level of difficulty of schools across the nation, colleges need something to objectively judge students with--something that we like to call the SAT. I find that most of the kids who are at the top of my class really are not very smart. And not surprisingly, none of them got over a 1600 (out of 2400). However, one student who I know that is quite bright--but extremely lazy!--got a 2100. This kid is nowhere near the top 10 and doesn't take the most advanced classes.</p>

<p>Now, think of all the high schools in the US. (A lot!) Each of these high schools has a valedictorian along with many students with high GPAs in the top 10. However, very few schools throughout the country can boast a top SAT scorer. If the SATs don't measure intelligence, then why can't the average person got a top score, and why isn't there a greater frequency of top scorers?</p>

<p>Plus, if the SAT wasn't working, something else would be used in its place. I love free-enterprise!</p>

<p>who says the average person can't get a top score? Thats what we have been pointing out in this thread.
Frankly I think the SAT should be used just to measure whether the person has what it takes, I mean today anyone with 2100 SAT scores would be told to retake because its too low. Im not against using the SAT in a way that if u score of 1700 or so ok your over the average so thats good. Cause really your an idiot if u get like less than 500 in math. The english it is very possible to get less than 500. I know ppl with 300's, of course these all go to my all arabic highschool.</p>

<p>--Cause really your an idiot if u get like less than 500 in math. The english it is very possible to get less than 500.--</p>

<p>That's a pretty ignorant thing to say. I don't think I'm even obligated to explain myself.</p>

<p>anyway</p>

<p>ide say its best to look at ur schools average sat's to see how easy ur school is.</p>

<p>umm
althoug i do think anyone with above a 3.8 should be getting at least a 2000 on their sat...at least
or the chances are more than likely that they really arent deserving of their gpa</p>

<p>oh yeah and studying...
oh
and juggieburger
depending on what schools u apply to, they dont usually heavily weigh cr for mmany international students...</p>

<p>LIke acceptances are usually easier for international students...that is, if ur not an english speaking white man... (canada, uk...etc)</p>

<p>HAHA....i have like a 3.0 uw GPA and am in the top 40 to 50% at competitive public wit a 1450/2090 SAT. im not even lazy. i like bust my ass for B's. itsprob just my learning disability. Im obviously not so good at the GPA game.</p>

<p>Bro tell me about it...on my first try i got a 1350/2400 and i have a 3.5 GPA (B+)...they don't match! I have colleges calling me saying "Ok everything is good except your SAT score...you need to retake it". The SAT is ONE test!!!!!! I never understood how 1 test can be so heavily weighed and counted towards your admission to a college. I mean think about it...1 fluke SAT and it can affect the rest of your life! I say do away with the SAT's. GPA is the best indicator as to the student's potential and consistency.</p>

<p>The only reason that GPA is not sufficient is because its not objective.
Say I go to competitive HS x, a school where the standards are high and there is no grade inflation.
Say you go to crappy HS y, a school where the standards are dead low and there is tons of grade inflation.
Say I have a 3.2 from x and you have a 4.0 from y.
Is that a fair measure of comparative potential?</p>

<p>The SATs, as arbitrary as they may seem, are really the only objective means for comparing two students from wildly different backgrounds.</p>

<p>Still though...if you're smart, you're smart. It's not like at one school you are a complete fool and at another you are #1. If you were top 30% at one school chances are you'll be around there at another.</p>

<p>I think that it's silly that colleges base such a large part of their admissions decisions on whether students hand in homework and suck up to a teacher. To each his own.</p>

<p>Meh, doesn't matter. The adcoms have the last say :D
and just so that you know, there are a WHOLE BUNCH of keeners w/ good scores AND high GPA. If you applied/are applying to a good school, you'll be competiting with those students.
And think about it. If you were an adcom, would you take a kid w/ 4.0 and 1800 or a kid w/ 4.0 and 2300?
It's as easy as that ;)
Good luck everyone</p>