Based on 2015 admission data, do SAT scores matter as much as everyone on CC thinks?

Applying to College
1

SAT scores were released today for the March 2015 test, and many on the CC SAT board are wondering whether to retake already high scores of 2150 plus.

Looking at the admission threads over the past few days, I have seen a lot of really high scoring kids not get into schools that their scores would seem to make them a match for.

Is something different this year? Have you noticed any trends with SAT score thresholds? Or do high SAT scores not matter for the typical bright well rounded high stat kid?

2

No

3

ACT and SAT scores certainly matter at those schools that require submission of test scores. Particularly those that are most competitive. However, many CCers place far too much emphasis on “stats.” College admissions is far more art than many who inhabit these threads want to admit.

4

I once heard an admissions rep of a top school say, “SAT scores matter more than we say, but less than you all believe.”

5

It matters more to schools that rely more on stats, e.g. schools with heavy focus on STEM(MIT, Caltech, CMU) or a few top public flagships.
If you are URM, legacy, development, low income, first generation or a recruited athlete, 2150 is probably as good as 2400.

6

2150 is not bad, even at a school with 2200 or 2250 as the 50th percentile SAT score.

The thing is, almost every top school (less than 10% acceptance rate) will take a 2150 student with great essays, ECs, and recommendations over a 2300 students who has okay essays and okay ECs.

One thing that strikes me is that recommendations do matter, but only negatively - a bad one might (will?) kill your app, but a great even stellar one might be looked at as exaggeration.

7

I’m not sure that I would rely on anecdotal reports of people who did not get into their dream schools despite having 2400 SAT or 36 ACT. I would look at the Common Data Set for the schools and see what they say. Know, however, that at most of the name brand schools admissions are “holistic” and that they all have institutional priorities. Know too that if Harvard has a regular decision admission rate of less than 3%, lots of people with 2400s are getting rejected.