Can an SAT score seriously sway college admissions?

Applying to College
1

Hi!

My gpa is a 3.995 UW. I plan to apply to a couple super-selective schools and a few selective state schools, and then a couple fairly unselective state schools.

I’m taking the SAT next week, and I’m not feeling very good about it. When I took the PSAT a few months ago, I got a 1390. I got exactly 700 in math and a 690 in Reading. I went on Khan Academy all summer. I recently took a practice SAT test, and I got a 700 in math, and a 690 in Reading–AGAIN. I know that colleges tend to believe your grades are inflated if your SAT score doesn’t match, but I’ve had A’s in math all my LIFE, and I used to go to one of those extremely difficult magnet middle schools. I don’t know what it is about the SAT test.

So will a college reject me if my score is below their average?

2

Depends on the schools and how much they emphasize test scores.

Generally, at the highest selectivity levels, each characteristic is more likely to have a negative effect. I.e. low test scores, GPA, etc. are likely to get you rejected, but high test scores, GPA, etc. are no assurance of admission, due to so many other appliances with those characteristics.

3

The Common Data Set (you can google it for each school) shows how much weight grades vs. scores vs. other things gets in admission

4

Consider the math… unless every admitted applicant has the identical SAT score, then some scores will be above the average and some will be below.

5

Half the admitted students at every college have SAT/ACT scores below the median, except at Lake Wobegon College.

6

For very selective schools you should have 700+ scores. They may consider you if you are a STEM student with 750+ math and high 600 for reading or vice versa if you are a humanities student.

Are you a senior or junior? Most people do not take SATs until spring of junior year. If you are a senior then you have no choice but to take the test now, otherwise I would wait if you do not feel comfortable. I don’t think you are going to do better than your practice tests because you will be more nervous during the exam.

7

@ucbalumnus Thank you! That’s what I thought.

8

@“Erin’s Dad” Thanks!

9

@MurphyBrown Good idea! My scores on practice ACTs are always “above average.” If I take the ACT, do I still need to send in SAT scores?

10

@oldfort Thank you! Usually I do slightly better than my practice tests because I take the real exam a little more seriously.

11

@PrimeMeridian True, but college admissions make me nervous and don’t follow much of any pattern. Thank you!

12

@TomSrOfBoston What is Lake Wobegon College? xD

13

@cliffnotes I take it that you were not a fan of Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion.

14

@TomSrOfBoston Never heard of it!

15

@MurphyBrown Thank you! I’ll try my best.

16

Pattern? There’s mathematical CERTAINTY. Unless all the admitted students have identical SAT scores, then some scores will be above the avg and some will be below.

It’s not like colleges can suddenly decide to admit only the highest scoring kids. Colleges have to manage their yield. The colleges know that they are competing with selective/desirable schools for the top applicants. If a college admitted only the top stats applicants, then the college could end up holding the bag with not enough enrolled students that year.

If you are so worried about your SAT score being below a school’s avg, then your choices are:

  1. get a higher score
  2. apply to schools where you’re above the avg
  3. apply to test-optional schools
  4. suck it up and apply anyway