<p>I don't know whether SAT scores are important or not yet...but I am going to find out within a month or so. I got a perfect score and applied to 16 of the most selective colleges (already got accepted at Michigan), and I'm waiting to hear from 15 of them. I was just reading about Stanford's admissions process, and I found out that Stanford bases an applicant's entire academic score on the SAT I and then just adjusts up or down for everything else. So at Stanford, SAT scores must be pretty crucial. I'll admit though, in the greater scheme of things, SAT scores are not that important. Personality traits are what counts in the end. Even being attractive is more important to success in life than being able to score well on standardized tests.</p>
<p>Can someone tell me this:
One of my friends(senior applied to UPENN deferred applying to Duke, Cornell, etc.) said that if you got a full score on the SATs you could go anywhere you wanted. Is that true?</p>
<p>Here's a link about SAT correlation with success in college.</p>
<p>I'm surprised (and a bit skeptical, frankly) that a poster above indicates Stanford places such apparent emphasis on SATs. SATs are important, I agree....but doing well in AP/IB/Dual-enrollment/Honors classes is the best predictor of success, and most colleges understand that. SATs are often used as a secondary indicator of potential. IMO, that's the correct way to use them.</p>
<p>Recent poster asked: One of my friends (senior applied to UPENN deferred applying to Duke, Cornell, etc.) said that if you got a full score on the SATs you could go anywhere you wanted. Is that true?</p>
<p>No; see many earlier posts on various threads. Lots of people with 1600s apply, not all are admitted.</p>
<p>Only about 50% or so of 1600s who apply to even Harvard get accepted. Based on this year's 22,000 + applicants, I predict that an even lower percentage of 1600s will be accepted this year there.</p>
<p>True! But that said, 50% >> 10% ...</p>
<p>1600s, however, won't beat out low gpas. I imagine that the 1600s that are rejected by Harvard include students with low gpas as well as student whose only "EC" was studying for the SAT.</p>
<p>I share Northstarmom's view. But I have to say that the whole admissions process is still a mystery to me, especially when it comes to the ivies.</p>
<p>I'm basing this only from info on people I know personally. For example the top 2 students in my school; everybody was sure they could get in to their top choices: Harvard & Princeton -- both were deferred.</p>
<h1>1 = Harvard</h1>
<p>1580 SATI (took the test only 2x: 1550 1st time - 1580 2nd & last time)
SATII's: 750m, 800w, 800h
GPA: 100.321 (weighted)
EC's: Pres NHS, Editor Nwsp, Editor Lit Magz, Cpt Forensics Team (Debate: several state & nat'l awards) bigges interest is theater & choral music: very involved in & out of school.</p>
<h1>2 = Princeton</h1>
<p>SATI: 1550 (highest combined - took test 3x)
SATII: 800m, 700w, 800s
GPA: 100.144 (weighted)
EC's: Pres FBLA, Pres Std Council, Editor YBK, Captn BB team - lettered, played varsity BB since freshman yr - involved in BB outside of school, started & runs a summer BB camp for inner city girls since jr year, referees on wkds for local schools.</p>
<p>If anyone had a shot at ivy, everyone at my school was sure it would be these 2 people. Its not to say that they haven't been accepted everywhere else they've applied! And they are excellent schools!</p>
<p>But my point is that by seeing this first hand, and contrary to what some say on cc, I'm convinced that Ivy admission is not a guarantee for anyone.</p>
<p>SAT scores do matter, but not as much as everyone here make it out to be. In the end, colleges admit students, not numbers. And in regards to the Ivies, I do think that there is a "cut-off" where as long as you pass the XXXX mark in the academics rating, you have a shot, ergo, leaving the rest of your application at a very important role. My school has sent kids with a 1250 (2Xs), 1360(2Xs), 1420(2Xs), to Brown, Penn, and the third was admitted to HYPS+Chicago and Penn (now at Pton). I think CC magnifies the importance of SAT scores to the nth degree...ECs and grade trends are far more important factors in the college admissions process.</p>
<p>Having a very high SAT score and a low g.p.a. could be to your disadvantage since colleges might think that you are not working up to your potential in school.</p>
<p>And in reverse, having a through the roof GPA but barely breaking 1200 will most def. hint RIDICULOUS GRADE INFLATION.</p>
<p>NO!!! where did you get the idea of SATs being important? that's preposterous!!! They just make you write it to support collegeboard, i suggest for people who haven't taken the SATs to not study, studying for SATs are a waste of time.</p>
<p>
[quote]
And in reverse, having a through the roof GPA but barely breaking 1200 will most def. hint RIDICULOUS GRADE INFLATION.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Not necessarily true, because in the admissions process, grades still trump SAT scores, because grades represent the predictor of future behavor is relevant past behavior. )Schools have the college profile to to see if a student is taking the most rigerous courses and to see the track record of the schools as far as college admissions and wher students are admitted) If your look up the Common Data Set at most elite schools you will see that grades are ranked #1. </p>
<p>Schools also take into consideration that you you don't have to be the smartest person to obtain a 1600 (you can be the best prepped person). SAT scores are also looked at in context of the person's background, as they already know that people from high SES background with highly educated parents tend to do better on the SATs (they are also aware of the number of people attending cram school)</p>
<p>What I mean was that, a lot of times, when a person receives barely a 1200 but has a 5.0 GPA, that has to hint that something's wrong. I know plenty of kids like that, where their school has ridiculous grade inflation, in that case, a college will know. Of course grades trump SAT...in the sense that if you have a great report card and a 1300, but when I talked to a few reps, they all told me that they are on the look out for grade-inflatory-schools, and that it's sometimes quite easy to tell from the scores. However, your GPA/grades will trump SAT scores always, it's just that a lower-than expected SAT score will discredit your GPA a little.</p>
<p>agree, plus all colleges admit that they dont want their ranking to drop from US NEWS, some schools (claim) that this rank doesnt mattter. but isnt it always the top 25 top 10 top 5 schools from each category saying it doesnt matter? SATs probably do matter a whole lot, but i think that a 1400 is no different than a 1600. If both of these scores are above the <em>cut off</em> they will take the person so the 1600 has no advantage over the 1400.</p>
<p>Schools don't post grades in USNEWS, only % of kids in top ten% so id say that where you stand is important as well as high SAT Scores.</p>
<p>wow, farbdogg71, although i have a 1400, i can assure you, a 1400 is very much inferior compare to a 1600 or even a 1500!
the caliber of ppl with 1500+ are much greater than that of mine. I know, b/c i have many friends in the 1500s</p>
<p>But you can't just make such a big generalization based on your own observations...I know a couple of high scoring kids, and...they are...absolutely boring.</p>
<p>no it really has no difference if the school has a cutoff number (lets say 1350), as long as you arent below that you go into another pile to be reviewed with kids who scored above it. so once they see that your score it above 1350 they dont look at it anymore and begin to look at other things like essay and recommendation. it REALLY does make since.</p>
<p>im not saying 1400 and 1600 are equal cuz obviously they arent. but if everything i just said holds true than it doesnt really matter how much higher you scored.</p>
<p>Samp0320,
"I was just reading about Stanford's admissions process, and I found out that Stanford bases an applicant's entire academic score on the SAT I and then just adjusts up or down for everything else."</p>
<p>I wonder where you found that information. Did you get it off Stanford's website?</p>
<p>a fd of mine in stanford says the difference between 1350 and 1400 is much much greater than that of 1400 and 1450, and once you are in the 1400s, its very much abt your personal traits</p>