I was just wondering about the potential impact that high SAT Scores can have. I know that often time Standardized tests are just used as a “checkoff” (in which if you have above a certain score you are good) but do higher scores ever help? If you have a 2350+ on your SAT or the equivalent in your ACT or even a subject SAT will it lead to a tangible difference?
I think it depends on the college. For a state university or a liberal arts college with admissions rates above a certain level, having a very strong test scores is helpful particular if the college is actively trying to move up the rankings. For Harvard or another similar college I don’t think a super high score in and of itself is terribly meaningful. Harvard sees what 30,000 odd applications every year. Probably a high percentage of students with 34+ ACTs or 2250+ SAT’s apply to Harvard. If you are an admissions officer at Harvard you would become pretty used to seeing 36 / 2400 all day long. They can only admit maybe 2000 students to form a class of 1600 and a good percentage of those applying have extremely high test scores. Above a certain level I think a box is checked off and the admissions offiicer moves on to other, more meaningful parts of the application. Your curriculum and grades achieved represent work done day in and day out over three and a half years. An SAT or ACT represents four hours on a Saturday morning. Also, your EC activities represent the sum total of years of work after school, on weekends and in the summer. It also depends on the student’s background. If your parents are wealthy and you attend a fancy private high school, achieving a 2350+ SAT means something different than if your family is less well off and you need to work to help support your family or you have overcome some other form of adversity
Selective colleges use standardized test scores to gauge how a student might do on their campus. The higher your score, the less an Admissions Committee will question if you could handle the work load. That said, beyond certain thresholds – 2200 SAT or 34 ACT – having a higher test score doesn’t necessarily correlate with a better chance of being accepted. One look through the 2019 decision threads will confirm that student’s with 2300+ test scores are rejected and accepted with about the same frequency.
As Harvard receives thousands more applications from student’s with top test scores than they have seats in the freshman class, Admissions uses a student’s essays, teacher recommendations, guidance counselor report (SSR) and interview report to select one high-performing student over another.
Thanks for the replies! @gibby I’ve never actually heard of the guidance counselor report (SSR). What is it and what does it tell the college?
Look at page 2, where your guidance counselor: http://ugadm.northwestern.edu/documents/UG_Admissions_SecondarySchoolReport.pdf
- Rates the rigor of your course load, as compared to all other college bound students at your high school
- Notes the highest GPA in the graduating class
- Notes the number of AP classes at your HS, and whether student's are restricted in the number of AP classes they can take
- Rates the applicant's academic achievement, extracurricular accomplishments, personal qualities and character
- Notes if the applicant has ever been found responsible for a disciplinary violation
- Submits a statement in writing about the applicant
@IvyWin [url=<a href=“http://ugadm.northwestern.edu/documents/UG_Admissions_SecondarySchoolReport.pdf%5DHere%5B/url”>http://ugadm.northwestern.edu/documents/UG_Admissions_SecondarySchoolReport.pdf]Here[/url] is an example of the Secondary School Report.
Thank you guys! That was very informative!