Hi everyone,
are there some schools that are known for putting most emphasis on test scores and GPA whilst not caring as much about ECs?
public/private, finances, majors, reputation, location, etc., not in the equation.
(if it matters: I am talking about a 34 on the ACT and number 1 class rank from a class of 850.)
This is Caltech:
SAT midrange of 2230-2340.
ACT midrange of 34-35.
SAT Math II midrange of 790-800.
99% of freshmen graduated in the top 10% of their HS class.
@NotVerySmart Isn’t CalTech notorious for admitting students that have many and/or in-depth engineering/science ECs?
Actually, I was looking for schools for which I’d be a shoo-in (or at least have a good chance of being admitted) given my stats (without any emphasis on ECs)
Look at the colleges Common Data Set. It states what each college takes into account for admissions.
The more applicants a college have, the less they can be holistic, in general. So if you look at a big U like Penn State, you see ECs are considered, but are not Very Important or Important.
If you look at Harvard, you see almost everything is “considered”…no one thing is shown as more important than another.
At a LAC like Bryn Mawr, ECs are Important.
I figured you might be starting a more general thread (saw one with a similar title a while back).
If you’re looking for a safety or two, try these.
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
Some deadlines are past by now, but any of these schools for which this isn’t the case will guarantee a full tuition scholarship for students with your stats.
As a general rule, the further down the rankings you move, the more stats-based admission is. Most public universities, with some exceptions - schools like Berkeley, UCLA, UMich, UVA, etc. that can afford to be more picky - look mostly at stats and rarely take ECs into account.
UChicago likes high scores.
You’d be a shoo-in for 85% of the colleges in this country. Plus get loads of merit money. Speak w/your guidance counselor.
Thank you all for your answers!
@NotVerySmart I am not looking for a safety school. More like a school I could give a shot, just because they do love high stats and don’t care that much about other factors.
@T26E4 The problem is that my school doesn’t have a guidance counselor and all my teachers are inexperienced with U.S. college admissions. 99% of students study in Europe after graduation. (I’m not an international student. Domestic applicant studying abroad.) Therefore, I’m hoping to receive some “widely known, nowhere officially stated” knowledge about stats-based admissions or stats-heavy schools on here. (like @NotVerySmart 's “general rule”, which already helps me to narrow down my search.)
How are Emory and Vanderbilt regarding that matter?
Highly regarded state schools (UNC, UMich, UVA). Schools that reportedly love high stat students are Vanderbilt, Rice, UChicago, WashU, and possibly schools in the 20-50 range where high stats will set you apart.
@Jennings99 thank you very much. Your answer is exactly what I was looking for.
Good luck to your son! 
Virtually all Canadian universities.
Clemson University and most likely competitive for National Scholars Program.
@carolinamom2boys what’s the National Scholars Program?
Clemson University’s National Scholars program is it’s full-ride scholarship program. It is very competitive, they offer 10-12 per year(at least half of those seem go to in-state South Carolina students. My daughter, OOS, was a finalist 2 years ago with a 35 ACT, good ECs, recs etc. She attended the scholarship weekend, but was not offered the scholarship by Clemson.
The University of Alabama is a great school which does offer automatic full tuition and smaller merit scholarships for various stats. Also, consider Temple University in Philadelphia, they also offer automatic merit scholarships for high stats. There are threads here on CC which lists others, see also the financial aid and scholarship threads:
@mamag2855 thank you for the links! I’ll definitely look into it!
TX publics admit most frosh with stats based auto admit criteria.
CSUs in CA except CPSLO rank frosh applicants by formula based on GPA and test scores within buckets (residency, major).
Iowa State uses a Regent Admission Index that is all based on grades, test scores, GPA and number of years of core courses. If you score a certain level on the RAI, you are in.
@ucbalumnus @NorthernMom61 Thanks! Exactly the information I’m looking for!
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1562918-updated-list-of-schools-with-auto-admit-guaranteed-admission-criteria.html lists some more colleges with automatic admission by stats. Verify each college before depending on it, though, since some may have changed since posting.