<p>It's not true that they don't care about SATs. Just try being a non "hook" type person from a NE HS that is a big Penn feeder school and see how much they don't care about your SATs. What they do, I think, is that they are shooting for a certain average SAT (2100+). If you have the right hook, (URM, athlete, 1st gen, etc.) then they are willing to forgive low SATs up to a point (that point being maybe 1800+ which may sound low but is still like 90th percentile nationally). Now for every 1800 -1900 person that they take 'cause they like their sob story and want to give them a break, they have to admit a 2300-2400 (often Asian) kid from some NE/West Coast school in order to come out to their 2100 target (and they have to deny the similar Asian kid from that same school who "only" has a 2200). So if you are the "right" kind of person, 1800 is high enough, but if you are the "wrong" kind, then 2200 is too low. This is spelled "double standard".</p>