<p>I am just wondering if top colleges only look at numbers. I am a fairly well-rounded student with great grades and ECs but not-so-great SAT scores. I've had to overcome a lot and am curious about whether collges take in such personal qualities when accepting students...</p>
<p>I think that last year, SAT scores held a higher weight at T20 schools just because of the sheer number of applicants. Obviously colleges don’t just look at numbers but the first screen is GPA and test scores</p>
<p>SATs matter rather a lot, but bad scores will definitely not ruin your application. admissions officers look at the application as a whole instead of dividing it up into parts</p>
<p>I think there are a lot of misconceptions about what holistic review means. It does not mean that most colleges are not highly quantitative in approach. They are. All it means is that they look at the whole picture.</p>
<p>I’ve had 3 kids apply to 25 colleges in the last 7 years and have studied the Naviance records for their 2 high schools schools. What I observe is that colleges are very predictable. The kids they accept are exactly the ones their past numbers said they would. </p>
<p>So IMO unless you have a major hook, don’t expect to get into any highly selective school with SAT’s below their median.</p>