<p>Hey, I'm new here(Junior in high school) and I'm wondering how important SAT grades are for Wesleyan ( as you probably got from the title =D ). How many of the people that got into Wes have above the 50% mark (700 on verbal and math).</p>
<p>By definition, 50% have above the 50% mark :) SAT grades are a factor in the admissions process... and just that. If you have outstanding SAT scores, it can get you in (I can't think of what else could have worked for me), but it probably won't keep you out unless they're really below Wesleyan standards (i.e. below 1100) if you have other outstanding factors working in your favor.</p>
<p>Because it's a small liberal arts school, they really do take a holistic perspective to admissions. Your whole application will be looked at. That said, SATs are an important factor being put into the bigger picture, though not quite as significant as grades.</p>
<p>If you want to get a better understanding of the admissions process and are bored over the summer, read "The Gatekeepers," which is a surprisingly honest and (I think, at least) fascinating look at the behind-the-scenes admissions process here at Wesleyan.</p>
<p>Heh, I guess the 50% question was pretty dumb ^^;;</p>
<p>Thanks for your response, it made me feel better about my chances at Wes.</p>
<p>Is "The Gatekeeper," a book that specifically talks about Wes, or just college admission in general? Sounds like it could be interesting.</p>
<p>It does actually specifically talk about Wesleyan... I mean, it is supposed to be informative about college admissions in general, but the stories it traces are, specifically, in the Wesleyan admissions process.</p>
<p>"Gatekeepers" uses Wesleyan as an example of how a "typical" top tier school runs its admissions process. It's also a couple years old. But if I recall, it describes how they handle SAT scores. They keep a running average of the admitted class's SAT scores but mostly admit whoever they want. If they find themselves dropping too far below the expected average score, they have to seek out more high-scoring people. If they find they're above where they need to be, they can look at admitting more marginal people.</p>
<p>It's possible to get in with mediocre scores, but having high schools never hurts.</p>
<p>If you score high on tests but not in school, then watch out for that one.</p>
<p>Does anyone happen to know the average GPA? I can't seem to find it anywhere.</p>
<p>That statistic is usually not published since it's very difficult to normalize high school GPAs. Some schools give 0-100 GPAs, some give 4.0-scale GPAs, some are easy, some are hard, some have APs, some don't, ...</p>