<p>while the sats are important ur gpa is also important, thus they are both important factors in applying to college</p>
<p>Isn’t this the point of class rank? It gives colleges some insight into the rigor of your high school. If you have a 3.6 GPA and are in the top 2% of your class, then clearly your classes weren’t as hard as someone with a 3.8 that didn’t make the top 5% of his or her class. Obviously those numbers are a bit exaggerated, but the point still stands: between GPA and class rank, admissions officers can get decent insight into grade inflation/deflation in your school and judge your GPA better. Factor in the SAT, and they now have a much better idea of what kind of student you are.</p>
<p>I honestly feel SATs should be more important. Based on what i’ve observed/ experienced:</p>
<p>Okay so here’s my experience:
GPA will not always be an accurate portrayal of what the student is fully capable of or represents. I know a TON of students in my school with fairly low GPAs and scored astonishing 2100s+ on the SAT. On the other hand one of my friends has a 95 average on her transcript (we go by percentages here sorry i dont know how to convert by 4.0 scale) and got a mere 1550 on the SATs.
As for GPA not being ‘accurate’, I dont know about your curriculum, but my school year is divided in 6 marking periods. (You’d think the final grade/ GPA for the year should be all 6 marking periods combined, huh? But no, you’re wrong.) All the grades received as my 6th marking period grade, were the same given as final grades (the grade colleges look at) I personally think this isn’t fair since the majority of students’ grades decline for one reason of the other. I went from a 94 average to an 83 from the 5th to the 6th marking period. Eleven full points decreased. Why? Because i was absent on the day the majority of finals were given (the LAST day of school) And there were no make ups of course. So of course my 94 (along with my other grades from previous marking periods) will be forever lost in obscurity because of the school system. And now colleges will only get to view my final grade. Anyways, this is just a small example.
SAT on the other hand is more of an accurate portrayal of students’ capabilities, because they are all being scored on the EXACT same thing. Teachers may teach the same subject, but they all teach it differently and grade you differently, so it wouldn’t be exactly ‘fair’. As for ‘rich’ kids being able to pay for courses, the courses don’t mean anything come the day of the exam if the kid does not incorporate his/ her knowledge to the exam them selves. Honestly, if every single school had the exact same AP courses/ curriculum to offer, i would most definitely say GPA should matter more. But that is not the case.</p>
<p>Here’s the thing, though. Plenty of intelligent people just don’t do well on the SAT. Some of the smartest people I know (I’m talking about adults) had HORRIBLE SAT scores. It is possible to be bad at the SAT and still get really good grades (without grade inflation). </p>
<p>In my opinion, the two must be looked at together, along with the rigor of one’s academic program. Two independent numbers don’t make much sense, imo, but the two together actually give legitimate insight into a person’s academic success. </p>
<p>In addition, someone called the SAT an “ability” test. That just sounds wrong to me. The SAT was initially a eugenics test. Calling it an ability test sounds like a misnomer; I think it’s more of a basic skills test.</p>
<p>I know many people who have 3.5+ non weighted gpas and they’re scoring 1600-1800s on the SAT. They are very smart individuals, however they just can’t comprehend sitting down for four hours and taking a long boring test. These SAT tests really don’t require “smartness” . Scores will naturally improve after studies and classes,which I don’t think rich people with thousands of dollars take. I’m currently in an SAT prep class and the level of skill is huge. There’s many many students getting anything from 1400-2300. I initially started with a 1400 and now I’m averaging around 1900 and I still have 4 more weeks of the program left. This test really is a skills test. It doesn’t require an “innate” ability only .5% of the world possesses. GPA and SAT seem to be present in order to somewhat balance each other out, however through my own experience it seems as though gpa will come out on top. You can’t simply ignore a hard earned 4.0 gpa because of a 1700 on an SAT. But a 2.8 gpa and a 2200 sat is a bit different. Getting a pretty gpa typically requires much more work than an awesome Sat.</p>
<p>Thanks for that, Przn4life</p>
<p>It is my personal belief that it is unlikely that GPA or SAT scores will cancel each other out. I think any disparity between the two must be contextualized by other factors (e.g. family issues, bad test taker, illness) in either the essays or the reccomendations. Also, after combing through the official admit threads for HYP, it seems to me as though one of the biggest difference makers is one’s hook. I have heard of very few applicants (even numerically weak ones) who have been outright rejected if they developed their hook. Colleges look good when they diversify. By presenting yourself as someone unique who brings something entirely your own, that noone else has experienced in exactly the same way, you gain the opportunity to address concerns about your transcript or test scores and are given a chance set yourself apart from the other applicants. Of course, I’m new, so I could be entirely wrong. Was this a decent first post?</p>
<p>Hi everyone! So, I haven’t gotten a chance to read through everything and I’m sorry if I’m repeating a previously asked question but what do you guys think of students with average SAT scores and an average gpa?</p>
<p>My sat score was a 1700 (1080 cr+m)
My gpa (I’m not sure) is around a 2.8-3.0 </p>
<p>I feel that it’s unfair to just say that average students won’t get into decent colleges. (I was told this by a family friend of mine and thought it was horribly illogical)</p>
<p>My son is not a bad test taker but he IS a bad grade getter.</p>
<p>If I were a college… I would look for a high SAT with at least a 3.5 GPA regardless of school, but if i had to choose one over the other I would take the high GPA.</p>
<p>SAT’s are uniform for everyone entering college so they can be used as an indicator of “raw abilities”</p>
<p>GPA is over the course of 4 years and is really just a judgement of the applicant’s determination and work ethic.</p>
<p>In the real world, a strong determination and work ethic always triumphs raw ability. Having both is a very powerful combination.</p>
<p>Shrinkwrap, why do you think your son is “a bad grade getter”? Is he simply (or not so simply) lazy, or are his grades a product of cirmumstance? Or is it something else? Bad grades are not the worst thing in the world. We all fail at something. It’s what we learn from failing that matters, even to <em>gasp</em> adcoms.</p>
<p>“ADHD” type problems; gets kicked out of class a lot, which adds furthur to the missing assignments. But he worked hard last semester and got a 4.0. Unfortunately, the damage was done. It’s all good though, he’ll be fine.</p>
<p>
Which is better? I can imagine that a top school would say that their applicants have high SATs and high GPAs.</p>
<p>
That part of GPA is not academic-related and probably boy-related? Don’t know much about “ADHD”, and there are many “this” and “that” conditions nowadays, most of which are probably “normal”.</p>
<p>I think it is extremely positive that he managed a 4.0 last year. The fact that he pushed through it is a great example of overcoming adversity. Also, keep in mind that colleges like to see an upward trend. Going back to what I said about hooks, too many people think that their problems are insignificant. Demonstrating hardship could make the difference between a fat envelope and a thin one.</p>
<p>Thank you. It really did change how he thinks of himself as a student.</p>
<p>Your welcome. And the fact that he has a parent who cares about his academic success is his biggest asset. When it comes to college admissions, parents are either really pushy or don’t care at all. You seem to sit in the happy middle ground…and I thank you for your sensibility. That is a rare quality in the world we live in.</p>
<p>Yes thenewguy.</p>
<p>I think you deserve a smiley face.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I totally agree with your analogy. I just wonder what the admissions people at the colleges think… anybody know?</p>
<p>Wish I could believe you. My daughter has high SATs 2300 and 3.15 GPA. She obviously learns the material but doesn’t do her homework half the time and misses deadlines. She’s ADD but refuses to take meds. I don’t blame her but worry about her. She’s applying to Northeastern, Syracuse and Drexel for their Music Industry programs. She was just deferred today from Northeastern. Is this a good sign or bad? </p>
<p>I think people want to believe that grades are more important because they’re just not good test takers but the reality is that SATs are a more equal way of assessing what you know, don’t you think?</p>
<p>Yes, I think you’re right. We’re not rich but we did spring for the Prep classes and they really were worth it. My daughter had pretty decent SATs to begin with but nothing outstanding. Hers jumped considerably after the prep classes. She worked hard for those SAT grades though, spending every Sunday and two nights a week in classes and studying and taking lots of prep tests, which she hated by the way. </p>
<p>Nobody can pay to get a good score on their SAT exam. They too have to work for it.</p>