<p>kARTHIKSMART wrote: "no, you definitely get in, with less than 2000 on the SAT, even if youre not a URM/legacy/athlete. I was none of those and got in with a 1970.</p>
<p>you just have to show passion for one particular thing on the app, enough passion for it to stand out. back it up with awards etcc.."</p>
<p>Kathi: while your situation was obviously successful (congratulations!), you just can't blanketly say "Your definitely in". No one can (unless they're a development admit and have $millions behind them). While it may make you a viable applicant, the fact is that the ultra selectives have so many qualified applicants that they pick and choose. There is just a lot of chance involved once the essentials are met.</p>
<p>I interview for an HYPS and of the 16 kids I spoke with over the last three years, I'd say 15 of them were DEFINITELY qualified to be admitted. Only two were actually admitted. And my rate is very high relative to the other alumni interviewers in my area. That's just how the numbers are playing out.</p>
<p>Your successful application process is just one of thousands. You can't base your "feeling" and your single success against the vast majority of scenarios being played out every spring where the tens of thousands of applicants are chasing after a limited number of openings.</p>
<p>at least he./she is not saying what most ppl here say:"you need a 2300+ to get into an ivy unless u are a URM"</p>
<p>i agree that not "all" can get in w/ 2000. but i do like the fact that she can prove as well as others on this thread, that a"hook" is not necessary.... some people are just bitter that they didn't get in, and blame it on "the system"(affirmative action...ect...) for them not getting in.</p>
<p>Oh, I agree. There are many vagaries involved. I'm a ORM who had decent but not stratospheric scores and was ranked about 12 or so out of 200. I went to an inner city HS and had a fantastic transcript. I had great essays and recs. I got into all schools applied. At the college I matriculated, my SATs were about the 45th percentile. And I'm an Asian male. ~shrug~</p>
<p>There's no hard and fast formula. In my experience, in general, once a certain level of achievement is met, many of the intangibles come into play. Here's where real "hooks" do matter given the sheer magnitude of qualified applicants, IMHO. What were mine? Like I said, I'm an ORM -- so that wasn't it. But I exhibited superior leadership as an Asian in a predominantly African American context. My essays showed my deep level of involvement with students and faculty around me. I wasn't the "typical" Asian, strong sci-math kid. As a recruiter now, I see how unique my package must have appeared to my readers. Can't say how I'd do nowadays given the numbers of applicants (under 10% accept rate), but when I was a senior, my college's admit rate was still very, very small. </p>
<p>Sir,
I am sorry , i dint mean , you will definitely get in, all i meant was people definitely do get in without being a " hooked" candidate and less than 2000.</p>
<p>wow i feel so idk better now lol because all i hear from ppl is u have to have stellar sat scores that are close to perfect to get into an ivy league</p>
<p>Using Dartmouth as an example, a quick look at the 2006/2007 Common Data Set suggests that nearly 25% of admitted students scored below 2000 on the SAT. This would equate to approximately 260 students. Even if ALL of the recruited athletes and legacies scored below 2000 -- highly unlikely -- that would still leave room for more than a "few random people". Yes, the admit rate for those scoring <2000 is miniscule, and your chances are better the higher your scores, but students with 1950 SAT scores do have a chance of admission. Just make sure you have your "safeties" lined up.</p>
<p>What do you consider a "hook" if an intense passion for something isn't one? I was under the impression that a "hook" is anything that would separate you from other candidates. Whether this is being a nationally ranked athlete or an environmentally conscious person who has ECs/volunteer work/awards/etc. to back it up, both are things that few other applicants will have (therefore, a "hook"). Everyone has one. Think about it. You are unique. There is no one else in the world quite like you. Brainstorm what makes you so unique and then emphasize that in your essays, ECs, recs, etc. and you will be fine.</p>
<p>NOTE: A 2400 SAT score does NOT make you unique. There's more to life than test scores.</p>
<p>okay soooo i was accepted at columbia (whose reg admit rate at the college is 7%), gtown SFS, and middlebury
my SAT Math was 600
and a GPA of 3.75/4.3, rank was probably 15/62
HOWEVER, my reading was 790 (i know it’s not low, but together its 1390, which is considerably less than what many people whom i know that got into good colleges (but none as good as columbia, as condescending as that sound)
my first two takings of the SAT yielded a 1940 and 2030, and my ACT was 28
so i think that you can def make it with lowish scores, just have good ECs and be interesting
sat scores aren’t everything</p>