GPA vs SATs

Applying to College
1

<p>This may seem an elementary question, however, I was wondering how high level colleges (mostly Ivies) value GPA/course rigor vs SAT/ACT and SAT Subject test scores.</p>

<p>Would people who have some idea please post some sort of ratio (high being valued more)</p>

<p>(GPA/course rigor) : (SAT/ACT and SAT Subject test scores)</p>

2

<p>Not a ratio, but here’s information about each of the ivies from their common data sets:</p>

<p>Brown



                  Very Important   Important   Considered   Not Considered
Rigor                    X
GPA                                    X
Class Rank                             X
Test Scores                            X

**Cornell** 



                  Very Important   Important   Considered   Not Considered
Rigor                    X
GPA                      X
Class Rank                             X
Test Scores              X

**Dartmouth** 



                  Very Important   Important   Considered   Not Considered
Rigor                    X
GPA                      X
Class Rank               X
Test Scores              X

**Harvard** 



                  Very Important   Important   Considered   Not Considered
Rigor                                               X
GPA                                                 X
Class Rank                                                        X
Test Scores                                         X

**Princeton** 



                  Very Important   Important   Considered   Not Considered
Rigor                    X
GPA                      X
Class Rank               X
Test Scores              X

**Yale** 



                  Very Important   Important   Considered   Not Considered
Rigor                    X
GPA                      X
Class Rank               X
Test Scores              X

</p>

<p>Penn and Columbia don’t fill out the common data set (they keep track of statistics themselves, but don’t have this kind of information that I could find), meaning they are inferior institutions of higher learning, and you shouldn’t bother applying to them.</p>

3

<p>o.o what’s with harvard? Do they have anything at very important?</p>

4

<p>Harvard has nothing at either very important or important. I guess they don’t want to encourage people to boost one part of their application at the expense of other parts.</p>

5

<p>

</p>

<p>The only thing that’s very important at Harvard is a great hook. Otherwise, you’re in the blender with everyone else.</p>

6

<p>I don’t know about the Ivies specifically, but I think the single most important part of a first-time freshman application is one’s academic transcript (grades and rigor of courses, the latter possibly being slightly more important…) I think low test scores at some schools can be something that keeps you out, but high test scores alone won’t get you in, either.</p>