<p>gahh...my essays are terrible</p>
<p>I think you guys are overestimating the difference between a 2200 and a 2400. Everybody takes SAT scores with a grain of salt, especially now since the essays are graded subjectively. I think that as long as you have an SAT score higher than 2100 and a decent essay, you are fine and worthy to be compared with enyone else.</p>
<p>I am of the belief that essays should not merely convey what you have done/overcome in your past but rather, what you hope to accomplish in the future. I think this is more impressive to adcoms who have to distinguish among thousands of apps with stellar scores and gpas.</p>
<p>Actually Ernie I think there definitely is a difference b/w a 2200 and a 2400, but not b/w a 2300 and 2400. If you have a 2300+ you're extremely competitive. I think it depends on your background, honestly. Cus ppl like Asians are expected to do better than everyone else.</p>
<p>But last year, the average SAT score at Pton was 1465! That translates to a little UNDER 2200 on the new SAT. Of course, you have to figure in lagacies, URMs, and athletes, so lets say the mean score for "normal people" is 2250. So if you have a 2250 or over, you will be in the top half of the incoming class! Of course a 2400 is better than a 2200, but it wont make that big of a difference. If it did, why would they reject so many 2400 applicants?</p>
<p>I just realized that Princeton has the power to accept only 2300+ers....ONLY for their class of 11. Or they can decide that only people below 2000 can come in....or only people who are technologically inclined......etc etc</p>
<p>My point is they can toy with our applications..lol. when you think of it dat way, you'd begin to realize that no matter what you do...it all falls into what princeton is looking for this particular year....</p>
<p>Amazing......you guys probably knew this already...</p>
<p>I didn't quite catch your point there, maddy...</p>
<p>I think something along the lines of what maddy is saying is, we need to stop figuring out a certain "formula" for getting into princeton.
because there is none.
they take whoever they want
they reject whoever they want
the end.</p>
<p>Oh. Then I quite agree....</p>
<p>Lol I'm saying that so many types of applicants are applying to princeton.</p>
<p>Lets say 12000 apply.
Maybe 2000 applicants get 2300 + in SAT 1
then maybe 6000 get 2000 +
then 4000 get below 2k.....</p>
<p>Princeton can decide to select only applicants who got 2300+ for their entire class of 2011.....
OR
They may decide to admit only students who have <em>saved Africa from hunger</em>(a.k.a Amazing Volunteer work.......)etc</p>
<p>Ofcourse they wont be able to do all these...because the want diversity and all.. but what am saying is that they can really toy with the applicants and wont lose anything from it.......</p>
<p>Hope my point has been passed successfully</p>
<p>and it goes along with OMZs extracts......</p>
<p>Indeed....</p>
<p>after reading many "is the SAT really that important?" threads and "how important are ECs?" threads, i'm thoroughly convinced that everything on your application just comes together. essays are a part of it yes. can we quantify how important they are? no. the essays may be a deciding factor for one person, whereas they may not be for another person. SAT scores will for sure not be a deciding factor in acceptance, but it may be a deciding factor for rejection. ECs may be the cause of an acceptance. the thing is, we don't know. it's a committee of 6 people who all judge you by your application. one person might like one of your ECs. another person might like one of your essays. its WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY too subjective, and no matter how hard someone tries to make it objective, it won't work...</p>
<p>well put...</p>
<p>committee of 6 people?i was under the impression that it was a committe made up of ALL the adcoms (around 20-25)</p>
<p>::applause::</p>
<p>my mom's doctor who graduated from princeton in 1990 told my mom that it was a committee of six people who make your final decision.</p>
<p>That was under Fred Hargadon. Things are much different under Rapelye.</p>
<p>Def890 is right....when i was in an information session at princeton the AO said that each person has their kind of favorite thing---recommendations, ECs, SATs, volunteer work etc, so that when they vote, each is kind of looking at your whole application with an emphasis on a specific thing----you really need a few AOs to fight for you to be an instant admit</p>
<p>oh nice.....^^</p>