<p>what school is this? i also go to a hs in ny</p>
<p>@good4college: A specialized high school</p>
<p>It is said, after you reach a certain threshold, say GPA 4.3, SAT 2200 from some states such as NY, NJ, MD, VA (higher compared to some low statistic SAT scores from mid-west states), COLUMBIA will seriously take a look at applicant’s profile.
Here is a paragraph from an article
<what yale=“” looks=“” for=“”>
“…Between two and three hundred students in any year are so strong academically that their admission is scarcely ever in doubt. But here is the thing to know: the great majority of students who are admitted stand out from the rest because a lot of little things, when added up, tip the scale in their favor. So what matters most in your application? Ultimately, everything matters…”</what></p>
<p>A friend attended an SAT prep-school, forget its name, they have an advertising brochure. I still remember one figure there, it says the GPA factor count 50%, SAT counts 25%, and all others count 25%. As for the most top achievers, once their GPA and SAT reach certain level, things to help them to stand out are all other factors.</p>
<p>Adcoms say that the transcript (which encompasses, GPA, rank, and class rigor) is the most important part of the application. ButMichele Hernandez suggests in her book A is for Admission that high test scores have a much greater allure than a high GPA. </p>
<p>Still, we’re splitting hairs, and this is only relevant when we’re talking about already high scores and grades. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>GOP, I would ask that you stop ■■■■■■■■. No, not everyone has perfect or even near-perfect stats. There is no statistical threshold for admission (or if there is, it is well within the upper 2300’s for the SAT and very near a 4.0 UW GPA). Stats are by far the most important part of the application. </p>
<p>This is not to say that soft factors aren’t important; indeed, few will get in without distinguished essays, recs, and ECs. But most admittees will be the full package–scores, grades, and soft factors–and those that are not are likely remarkably statistically qualified rather than those with phenomenal soft factors.</p>
<p>Glassxxxxxxxxx
Agree!</p>
<p>“GPA is by far the most important. This shows three years worth of work. SAT/SAT II show one Saturday morning”</p>
<p>And essays display the work you did in revising a prompt for one-two months. Some less. But at most selective schools - they’re easily considered the tip factor in admissions. </p>
<p>Don’t correlate time with weight and relevance. Also note that they never say GPA is the most important but that the transcript is. What courses you take and the PATTERN of your grades matter more than a designated numerical value.</p>
<p>Transcript (GPA together with toughness of your courses, AP, IB etc) makes sense.</p>
<p>Indian, essays are not considered a “tip factor” because of the amount of time that’s put into them, but because they’re able to show the humanity of the applicant, which can’t be conveyed through GPA and standardized test scores. For quantitative factors, though, the GPA holds more weight than standardized test scores at most schools because as an average measure, it shows an applicant’s ability to sustain sustain academic performance over the course of four years. </p>
<p>Of course, standardized test scores DO matter, and good scores can indicate that grades may not tell the whole story. Personally, I had (what I consider) a mediocre GPA for Columbia: 3.75 (UW). I had slightly above average standardized scores (2310 SAT, 780 on subject tests, and a couple 5’s on AP). I guess those must have partially compensated for the GPA.</p>
<p>@pwood: Columbia doesn’t really take AP scores into consideration. That’s mainly used to get college credit after being accepted.</p>
<p>Pwoods
I am pretty sure that your top SAT I score (2310 is better than other 99.5% SAT takers among 1.57 millions according to College Board’s statistics for 2010 class), SAT II and AP score will compensate your 3.75 GPA. Each HS has a different standard for GPA system, GPA in some states is as high as 5.0, it is meaningless if you ONLY compare GPA within different school systems. But SAT I, II and AP tests are nationwide, they will UPHOLD your GPA and other factors in your competition.</p>
<p>…essays are not considered a “tip factor” …</p>
<p>Essays, as well as ECs, recommendations, interviews etc will be tip factors in the judgment when you are a BORDERLINE student. Yale University could find ONLY 200-300 hounded super-qualified students each year in the first round searching, all others are considered as “BORDERLINE” students, then Yale will use these small things to judge which students will get the rest of entry PASS…</p>
<p>Silence, that’s untrue. While AP scores may not be quite as important, they still can play a part. A bio major with a 3 in AP bio raises a red flag, while someone applying to SEAS with 5’s in AP Physics, Chem, Calc, but a 3 in AP lit would not. I forgot who said this once, but the adcoms wouldn’t care so much about the grade in ap lit in that example so much that the person was brave enough to take an AP in a field they weren’t the most comfortable with.</p>
<p>Also, on the topic of correlating GPA with SAT scores, what pwoods said is very true. Unless you were the exception in your school Silence, its not how it usually works. I also went to a specialized hs, but when you look at a graph of SAT scores v GPA, its a very linear trend. The “usual” equivalent of a 4.0 is a 95 (my school went out of a scale of 100 and didn’t weigh) and the average SAT score for that grade was around a 2250. You don’t go below 2000 until you hit a GPA of around 90 (or a 3.5).
We didn’t have a line of acceptance (where everyone above a certain gpa/sat score got in - the exception was ED, where there was a very clear line), but there was a line of rejection, where requirements just weren’t met anymore. You’d be surprised at how many people with 97+ GPAs and 2350+ SAT scores didn’t get accepted.
The general idea is that while almost nothing can guarantee an acceptance, being way below average in either GPA or SAT scores, or “regularly” below average in both reduces your chances to the point where a fantastic essay/ap scores/ecs doesn’t really matter. On the other hand, doing relatively well on these two categories puts pressure on the rest of your application because at this point, that’s what is going to tip you over.</p>
<p>@biobade: How would a chem major guy look with a 4 in Ap Chem. World and 3 in us history?</p>
<p>Bioblade:
Quote your comment “…You’d be surprised at how many people with 97+ GPAs and 2350+ SAT scores didn’t get accepted…”</p>
<pre><code> As my understanding, it is possible many 2350+ SAT takers got rejected by some colleges, but on the other side they will most likely be accepted by some other elite schools, if not necessary but it is very possible. The fact is the nationwide number of applicants with 2350+SAT is very very small, only 2331 people nationwide got their SAT scores better or equal to 2350 in class 2010, which is at 99.849% percentage level. Please take a look at the statistics in College Board website (http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat-percentile-ranks-composite-cr-m-w-2010.pdf). 2331 is a very small number compared to 1,547,990 total SAT takers. Although SAT I is only 4-5 hours test experience, it is still the accumulation of about 11 years of k-12 study combined with the talent which is not owned by anyone. Both GPA (curriculum, grade) and SAT are important, some schools put more weight on GPA, while others may prefer SAT, like most public institutions.
</code></pre>
<p>What you said is very true. I honestly would think someone with those stats is a shoo-in, but unless they do ED, they’re really not.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter that only 0.5% of SAT takers got 2300+. What matters is that ~25% of Columbia students got 2300+ on their SATs. A 2310 put me around the 75th percentile for admitted students, which is significant but did not guarantee that I would be admitted. The SATs helped contextualize my academic performance I’m sure, but what really mattered was that I went to a very rigorous school. The admissions committee knew that my 3.75 showed a performance equivalent to other applicants who had 4.0s at schools that were less rigorous. Silence (I believe) goes to one of the most rigorous public schools in the city, a school which has very few URMs. If he’s truly excelled there, the admissions committee may overlook his SAT scores.</p>
<p>Pwoods,
How did the 3.75 compare to your classmates?</p>
<p>@Pwoods: Here is the ethinc breakdown of my school according to the DOE’s website:</p>
<p>American Indian…0.12% (6 students)
Asian / Pac…59.72% (3,067 students)
Hispanic…7.59% (390 students)
Black…10.42% (535 students)
White …20.05% (1,030 students)
Not Reported…2.10% (108 students)</p>
<p>And these numbers are based on a total student population of 5,136 (1,133 of which are seniors)…I think you could guess which school I go to now :p</p>
<p>Fun Fact: “The [Specialized High School exam] was developed with the assistance of Columbia University”</p>
<p><a href=“Specialized high schools in New York City - Wikipedia”>Specialized high schools in New York City - Wikipedia;
<p>Such a good school system in NY!</p>