Heard the same thing last year.
Submit Transcript/GPA and Test Score and if it hits the thresholds they barely even look at the application. Don’t submit a test score and they do a deep dive on the transcript. Unless a student has a SAT/ACT that doesn’t align reasonably well with their GPA there’s no reason not to submit it.
My sense is the same - that TO is a much longer shot for admittance. My OOS daughter applied TO and is very hopeful for success but also understands it is a much tougher hill to climb for a potential admittance. She has a 3.94 unweighted and a 4.12 weighted GPA…
We shall see and are are trying to stay positive and hopeful but grounded in reality. She loves Auburn!
Best of luck to everyone!
We did TO simply because someone mentioned above her GPA does not match her SAT scores. The SAT freaks her out. She took it 3 times and even took private classes to help her score well and had a panic attack each morning before going to take the test. She test fine in her normal classes but I dont know if its just the weight of trying to remember so much or what that causes her to have a panic attack.
Either way, for us we actually want them to do a deep dive into the other parts of her application. She has taken 5 dual enrollment and several AP and Honors. She is involved in every single academic club as well as leadership roles in some of them. 2 varsity sports all 4 years, TONS of community service hours. So in our case this is exactly what we are hoping they will do.
I guess when we get the results next week that will be the moment of truth. She has been admitted to two other colleges already with TO - Alabama and Ole Miss. But Auburn is her #2 right under Clemson.
Just wishing that it was already next week and we weren’t having to make all these guesses and analyzing every single thing.
Found this in an old thread. And it was crazy to me just how different these rated for 2022 verses if you go and look at it for this year. A lot of the things that they considered important or very important are now not even considered - Specifically essays and recommendations.
I wouldn’t count of them looking at the back half of this paragraph. They’re going to do a deep dive on the transcript only. “Did the student take rigorous coursework and how did they do on it? Do grades look consistent over time or were there peaks and valley’s over the 3 years?”. From the sounds of it your daughter will be in good shape from that - but nowhere did they say they would look at the full/qualitative items if you went TO. They’re just looking to make sure the GPA submitted isn’t from “basket weaving”. No offense to all the basket weavers out there.
Got it! And yes, I think if they only look at her classes and rigor we should be fine. But then again I hear some of the craziest stories of some kids that I think would be a shoe in not getting in and then a kid that is barely making the average grades and test scores gets in.
One factor that puts us at a disadvantage for sure is that two of her best friends have also applied here and they are ranked #3 and #4 in her class. So although this is not something that Auburn looks at this will tell you that they have amazing grades, SAT scores are in the low 1300s but they also do the same sports and ECs as my daughter. My daughter is #18 in her class so not super far away but when they look to compare her to her two friends she is is not on the higher end. So we know this will play a factor as well.
We have more against us than in our favor. We know that. We still dont consider it a super reach. I think for us it is more inbetween a reach and target we will call it a “treach” lol
If you’re talking about a different school this might be a concern. I did not get the impression at all that Auburn even looks at a “by school how many are we admitting”. Either you have the grades for an acceptance or not. When we went to the admissions session it seemed overly focused on the quantitative but respected them for putting out there exactly the criteria/process they were using. Seemed like they might potentially lose some kids that were .01 GPA under the cut-off but had all kinds of extra-curricular that at some other school would set them apart.
In any case you should know soon.
This is what I am referring to:
In addition to the minimum requirements, we select our freshman class through an evaluation that includes a holistic review of your academic performance. Some of the factors included in our review include:
This is under the Admissions Standards on their website. So not necessarily saying they have a set number but if they are comparing the 3 because they are only admitting a certain number then we may fall below.
But… this is something beyond me… and not just a question for Auburn but in general. So my D24 applied on lets say Sept 1st and then lets say another student applies on September 14th. And the deadline is Sept 15th for EA. Do they truly not look at the applications as they are coming in and decide on acceptance or not? Like do they truly wait until Sept 15th before they even pick up the first one? I wouldn’t think so. And if they start reviewing them as their application is completed and submitted then do you think they say hey we had this kid in the accepted pile but not this other kid looks better so lets pull this one out? I know this is all just rambling. Seems I have thought about this process much more than I realized I would even a year ago.
Someone posted a photo from the PowerPoint presentation that is given before the campus tour, and the exact wording from the Fall 2022 Total Applicants Profile was “less than 10% of test optional applicants admitted.” Which leads me to believe that would be 9% of test optional applicants, not total applicants.
Was the 44% figure in relation to 2022 early action rounds (fall 2023 enrolled?) I had read/heard for 2021 early action rounds (fall 2022 enrolled) that only 25% of admissions were accepted through early action (75% deferred to March.) That would be a pretty big swing, if so.
You can also try having her take the ACT. Some students do better with the ACT than SAT. This was the case for my son. Wish you and your daughter well!
That was actually something we thought about doing once we realized she was not able to handle the pressure of the ACT. However, once we realized this her competition cheerleading started. They compete every Saturday starting Sept 1 until end of November. They have two off weeks and both of those weeks it is not offered. At that point we realized we are just going to chance it and hope that she has done enough that the TO will be ok.
We had read many things saying that with many schools a high number of their acceptances go to those that are applying EA or ED. So if we waited and took the ACT and we had the same issues then we would still have to go TO and possibly even lower our chances going RD.
As the comment above stated 44% were accepted in EA so that was a big enough number for us to chance it. Ultimately, we know that she will end up where she needs to be and at least we know she has other options if it does not work out in her favor with Auburn.
We are Georgia residents and there are only two schools in our state that even require SAT - UGA and Georgia Tech. The other schools in our state,however, even have a spot for you to enter your SAT scores anymore.
Not trying to be negative Nelly but the reality is that you’re likely not getting in unless you submit test scores. Note above from the tour presentation. Less than 10% of TO applicants accepted.
That would be awesome if it were 10/6. Heard from a few, but Auburn and UGA are his top choices
That seems to be the general consensus…I suppose all will be answered soon!
Best of luck to everyone
I feel your username so much 
Yes! We are just hopeful she will be part of the 10%. 
Also posted in the other 2024 thread -
My D24, who is a DE student, just received an email from the Auburn First advising team that the first round of decisions would be released mid to late October, and that they would be released in waves to prevent technical issues. No specific dates were mentioned in the email, but the overall message was “don’t panic.”
I posted this in the other thread as well…My senior submitted everything in time for Sept. 15 early action but got an email last week alerting him that his transcript wasn’t in (he requested it weeks ago). He checked with his counselor and the transcript now shows in his admission portal. Status says “awaiting decision” or similar wording. I assume he won’t hear back in the earliest decision round since it’s October already, though? He has done a regular campus tour, a VIT tour and attended a local event to which prospective students were invited (also invited to War Eagle Day but cannot make it).
If you don’t mind me asking what is Auburn First? Also, did she reach out to someone, or did they just send an email? I’m reading too much into everything I realize, but the only thing that my child has received is the initial email that was in regard to confirming the account and that the application had been received.
So initially my child used their high school email address. After filing the application to Auburn, the high school counselor sent an email to all students instructing them to not use their school email accounts when applying because they may not receive emails from colleges with all of the blockers that the school has in place. The email has been changed on our side, but nothing has come to the new email address not even a confirmation from Auburn that the email has been changed. My child has only received an email to the school account stating that it has been changed. Also, when signing in it is still the login that uses the old email address. Should I be concerned and/or contact Auburn about it or just wait and see what happens? Thanks in advance for your input.
