<p>My daughter is in and happy--so I'm done for a few years...</p>
<p>But just out of curiosity, why no parent thread sorted by SAT's, just grades? My kid had great grades, but 1980 SATs'. I felt a little lonely sometimes sorting through what felt like all the kids with 2200, etc etc. Have I just not been here long enough to see the thread? Or some other reason? thanks!</p>
<p>You know, I saw a “I got in with under a 2000” thread or something like that. It immediately turned into a “That’s because you are a URM”. And the nasty direction of the thread was started by a moderator. I’m staying far away!</p>
<p>Big congrats to your D! S will be at the same campus. We too are thrilled. ;)</p>
<p>ok, so this is very funny. I have a very adverse multiple choice kid. Very. Does great on essays, short answer, oral exams. never met a question she didn’t like. Choose ABCD and she over thinks to the point of melt down. Always. Tests gifted on the IQ tests (no idea how?) but SAT m & r and ACT - nope. SAT writing - good score the others? nope. SAT - 2 sittings 650M 550R 680W; 610M 590R 710W. ACT 26 Comp = 26 all parts exc science 27. But great grades, etc. AH well. Wondered why there were no other threads like this.</p>
<p>@momofa12 - My D sounds like your D, does great at school, great on tests, etc. Her scores sound similar to your D’s also, highest sat was 1820 and act was 27. I really think her essays and EC’s must have stood out though because she got into a couple of reach schools, so it all worked out.</p>
<p>I think it would be great to share the names of colleges that look more closley at grades/transcripts/rankings/ECs than test scores. Of course, we can start with the test optional ones!</p>
<p>I’ve gotta add that it did feel lonely! Those threads seemed to attract the kid with B’s (who had 8 AP’s) at a competitive private school who had 2300 on SATs. Never a thread for consistently above average kids, A- average, a few APs and SAT scores in the 1900s. That would have been nice! :)</p>
<p>Same here, my D got into a couple of selective schools with a 1990. More care was needed during the search/application process I think.</p>
<p>Agreed I joined a few of the B student threads because i felt like her SAT’s were low grades? Weird I guess. The funny thing is DS (class 2017) will, I am positive, have mediocre grades and great scores. Last year, he was top 1% PSSA results. And yet, grades, well. We celebrate b’s. Ugh!!</p>
<p>mine was admitted to 7 of nine. I am certain the rejects would have been an admit with better SATs/ACTS based on other factors. SHe did NOT want to retake again, and I agreed. And i think it will all be ok. </p>
<p>BTW, she did get into PSU (UP), Udel, JMU, and CofC as well as Hofstra, Wash Coll and Goucher w/ lots of $$$. SO, there you go.</p>
<p>pathways - I agree. S also got into selective schools with his score. He has unique ECs which really helped. He also showed great interest - visiting, interviewing (he gives a good interview), emailing local reps. He can also write a good essay. All of these things contributed and gave him an edge.</p>
<p>Most important for these kids is fit. Is the student’s philosophy on life the same as the school’s? Most schools are known to like a certain kind of kid. Is it clear that your kid would be a great fit? Will your kid contribute to the school’s community in a big way?</p>
<p>momofa12 - If merit is needed, then that’s when the SAT scores become a problem for many schools. Instead of finding a school that seems like a perfect fit, you make compromises and find a school where your kid’s score is in the top 25%. It is likely not the dream school. Great schools accepted S, but the lack of merit made them an impossibility.</p>
<p>Oberlin was different. Thank you Oberlin. :)</p>
<p>Some schools where test scores are optional:
Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, College of the Holy Cross
For more, check this link: [SAT/ACT</a> Optional 4-Year Universities | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional]SAT/ACT”>ACT/SAT Optional List - Fairtest)</p>
<p>^^ Good options: “PSU (UP), Udel, JMU, and CofC as well as Hofstra, Wash Coll and Goucher w/ lots of $$$. SO, there you go.”</p>
<p>For the benefit of future students D got into: Holy Cross, Geneseo, McGill, Umass Lowell (1/2 price- merit). Like Lisabees said, D visited each campus at least twice (including an overnight at each LAC), interviewed, wrote different & detailed “why x” essays for the LACs, emailed reps and coaches. So much time involved! But worth the effort…</p>
<p>It’s a question of whether to spend time and money on test prep/SAT & ACT re-takes or time on the selection/application process. She chose the latter and has no regrets.</p>
<p>Hope good things happen for all the <2000, high GPA/strong work ethic kids out there!</p>
<p>There’s lots of fish in the sea – and several threads for the 3.0 ish student --including the 3.0 ish kid with terrific SAT’s (kinda a male teen phenomenon as far as I can tell) – generally CC is hosted and haunted by the uber intense. </p>
<p>I wonder if there’s a forum out there in another direction entirely for the “perfectly happy baton twirlers” or something like “cheery tubas unite” world where a reasonable GPA and passable SAT is par for the course and everyone oohs, ahhs and advises on completely different criteria – like whether or not an admission review music committee is impressed with the student with the hard case . . . or the applicant who is a third generation twirler. Could be!</p>
<p>Our school is full of college bound students with SAT scores from 1400 - 1800 and many get into colleges. Quite a few even get merit aid. The key is to look for schools where their SAT scores are in or near the top 25%. There are several of those - they just don’t tend to be common names on here. I was talking with a student yesterday who had full tuition at La Salle. </p>
<p>Other names of colleges include (w/scholarships only - not just acceptances):</p>
<p>York College of PA
Hood College
Johnson & Wales
Juniata
Catholic University
Arcadia
Drexel
Susquehanna
Messiah</p>
<p>This is only from one (bi-weekly) list. If I were to copy the entire year’s list it would be far more extensive.</p>
<p>D had high class rank (good grades) and SAT’s of scores of 1970 and 1980, she did get a 31 ACT. She was accepted at 7/8 (well she pulled her application at Duke due to a major change, but we are positive she would have been rejected)</p>
<p>Test scores are important but unless you are looking at a HYP/ivies/Northwestern, being well rounded will help in many cases. </p>
<p>What would be interesting is to see what those with below a 1900 have to say as far as schools accepted to.</p>
<p>I started a thread last year, though I can’t remember the title, just like this though. I asked where kids got in who had under 2100 SAT’s but no obvious hooks. You could do a search for it. In short, a lot of people suggested SAT optional schools but many of them are not very top tier. Some suggested doing ED to a top but not Ivy/lottery school. My own son got into Emory on the ED1 round this past Dec. I am grateful for all the good advice and information that I got here on CC.</p>
<p>I will also add that I have a DD who is a thriving senior a U of Central Florida (Orlando) and she got in with a 1800 SAT and 3.7 GPA. She has a 3.5 college GPA in tough classes (she has taken two semesters of physics and organic chemistry etc)! Kids who are good students do better in college than kids who are just good test takers.</p>
<p>Creekland - bless you. Would you mind sharing more of that list? Feeling blue this morning as Step-D’s scores were nowhere near what we expected. : (</p>
<p>My DS should be included. Exactly 2000 SAT, with Math being the weakest. He also tried the ACT, C29 – with even weaker math but a 34 on Reading. He has never been good at long standardized tests. However, give him an essay, short response, analysis etc he is more than fine. DS did very well on the SAT II with 3 tests 750+. He had a rocky grade 9 but then pulled it together with a strong upward trend. Applied to schools with a 41/45 IB (no gpa). Some unique ECs. Still waiting on a few super reaches but he is thrilled with his options:
Emory
Rochester ($15k merit)
Macalester ($15k merit)
Carleton
McGill management/ economics (but did not submit SAT; applied with IB)</p>
<p>Schools to look at when scores and/or grades are ‘low’…some even give merit…</p>
<p>Truman State…merit available and it is inexpensive to begin with. 25%-75% ACT range is 25-30. It has an outstanding reputation in academic circles as a place that does an outstanding job preparing students for grad school. Around 50-60% of grads go directly to grad school. Is my son’s first choice now.</p>
<p>[Truman</a> Scholarships - Office of Admission - Truman State University](<a href=“Admission | Truman State University”>Admission | Truman State University)</p>
<p>Iowa State University and U Iowa. Both use an index that you can calculate to see if you will be admitted. Admissions requirements are fairly easy for such high ranked research institutions. Use their online admissions index calculator to see if you will be admitted. Iowa State is aout $6000 a year cheaper than U Iowa for OOS students and a great value.</p>
<p>Kansas State and KU. Both require a 2.5 GPA for admissions or a 24 ACT. KU is in a classic college town. Iowa State would be cheaper and probably a better value depending on the major you are interested in.</p>
<p>University of Montana and Montana State. Merit aid available at both. 25 ACT gets you $2500 per year at MSU.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Sure. I just copied it from where it is posted. I’m eliminating the awards from the one NMF we had this year (usually we have none) and I’m eliminating any merit awards of less than $16,000 ($4,000 per year). These are all supposed to be merit awards, but I can’t conclusively say a need-based one didn’t get in there as I don’t work in guidance myself. I do know the majority of these kids and can say their SAT scores would range from 1400 - 1900 with most being in the 1500 - 1600 range. A 1600 (all three sections) is considered a superb score at our school.</p>
<p>Here are some schools to consider (trying not to repeat those from before…):</p>
<p>Washington College
Delaware Valley College
University of the Sciences
Seton Hill
Wilkes U
Methodist U
Wittenberg U
Towson U
Harrisburg U
Mount St Mary’s U
Florida Inst of Tech.
Thiel C
Bridgewater C
Elizabethtown C
Quinnipiac C
Case Western
La Roche U</p>
<p>Edited to add this is just a merit aid list. Our acceptances list is a whole lot longer. Our school’s average SAT score is < 1500 and only non cc college bound students take it.</p>