<p>Does anyone know how top schools (Ivies and similar) treat SATs scores - as an aggregate or as three separate scores? My D got back scores of 800 on Critical Reading, 800 on Writing, but 630 on Math. Of course she's delighted with the 800s, but I checked and the 630 is below the 25th percentile on Math scores for all of her top choices. She's a prospective music and humanities major; do you suppose that a math score below the middle 50% would be a significant drawback?</p>
<p>Since the SAT I is new and some colleges are willing to take either the old or new form, my guess is that most colleges will regard the CR, M scores the same way they did the old SAT v, m scores, which the new CR, m scores are supposed to be comparable to.</p>
<p>Here's info from some adcoms about how some colleges are handling things: <a href="http://www.venturescholar.org/hs/answers/answers46.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.venturescholar.org/hs/answers/answers46.html</a></p>
<p>Another article:
"Officials with the College Board, which administers the test, said it will take at least a year before they will have a large enough sample to provide comparison data, including average scores and percentile information, to the public.</p>
<p>For now, they urged people to resist the urge to draw parallels between scores on the 1600 scale with the new 2400 scale. Caren Scoropanos, a College Board spokeswoman, said students can compare their scores on the verbal and math portions with those from previous exams. But the essay, because it's new, would have to stand alone, she said.</p>
<p>In the meantime, college admissions officers are wrestling with how they will use the new scores, particularly on the written portion. Georgetown University and the University of Maryland said they will look only at verbal and math scores this year, until they have more experience with the essay section. Howard University officials said they are trying to determine how they will use the writing section.</p>
<p>Harvard University and the University of California system have said they will look at the entire test -- writing section included.</p>
<p>University of Virginia officials also will count all sections of the new SAT in admissions decisions. But John A. Blackburn, dean of admission at U-Va., said the college will be as "skeptical as ever" about the test and not consider it a major factor in decisions" <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/13/AR2005041301913_pf.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/13/AR2005041301913_pf.html</a></p>
<p>Thanks Northstarmom - to be more concise, I guess my question is whether Columbia (for instance) would look at D's math/critical reading scores and say "that's a 1430" or whether they'd say "that's a 630 and an 800"?</p>
<p>They'll say both, which is how colleges typically analyze v, m scores.</p>
<p>GAdad, First, congratulations to your daughter! Those perfect scores are something to be proud of! </p>
<p>I think the advice to just ask the schools themselves how they look at scores is good. Perhaps your daughter could email the admissions rep for her area and ask the question directly. As long as she doesn't blatantly say "Do you think I'll get in?" most admissions officers are pretty open about talking in general terms.</p>