How important is the SAT in the college process?

<p>Okay, so my friend wants to transfer to BU, NEU, Cornell, NYU, UCLA, UC Berkley, UCS and Umass Amherst. She is currently a sophmore at Suffolk University.
Her high school stats are:
GPA was exactly 3.0.
SAT scores were 1010/1500 and 1430/2400.
She told me she was just not motivated during her high school years. This will also be her transfer essay.
She was not the best student, graduating at the rank of 347/530 in her graduating class.
Her GPA was in a upward trend and she was taking all honor classes.
She took 2 SAT lls : Literature-420 Math-530</p>

<p>Now she's doing great in college
GPA: 3.7/4
Extra Curriculars: 2 Presidents roles, Varsity for Basketball team, member of 3 clubs that she joined since her first year of college.
Awards: None.
Major: Business- Marketing
She also wrote an awesome Transfer essay and is sure that her college professor will give her a excellent recommendation.
I don't know if this helps but she is taking online courses at another college.</p>

<p>She wants to retake the SAT because she knows that she's going to do better. However, she did not study for it yet. So should she retake it or not? If she did, will that put less impact on her 1010 SAT score during her HS years?</p>

<p>Whether or not she needs to retake the SAT will depend on the school she is transferring to. Some of the schools you listed do NOT require SAT for transfer applicants. I believe NYU, all the UC’s, and Umass do NOT require SAT for transfer students who are entering as juniors.</p>

<p>Tell her to look up each of the school’s requirement for transfer applicants and see if she needs to retake the SAT.</p>

<p>It is funny because I was just like her lol. Horrible high school student with the same EXACT SAT scores ahhahah (1010/1600)/ (1430/2400) and a class rank of 219/294 LOL.</p>

<p>Yes. If there is even a chance that any of these schools will weight her SAT at all in the process, she should absolutely retake it.</p>

<p>Also, I’m not trying to offend, but I don’t really understand how a lack of motivation alone could result in such terrible scores.</p>

<p>^ Lol there’s a period that she just blank out everyday in class. For example, she just goes to class and chill around. You know those days that you just go to class and stare into space? I think that’s what happened. I’m not too sure.</p>

<p>Anyways, I’m asking because she wants to do Cornell. Cornell requires all the scores sent to them I think. However her SAT 2s and SAT scores during her high school years were not even bad, it is terrible. Would Cornell still accept her because she’s doing very well (mostly As, maybe 1 B i think) in her college classes? Or should she retake the SAT?</p>

<p>Scores are important at the schools that ask for them, she should retake.</p>

<p>Also make sure she knows there’s no aid beyond the Federal at UCs for OOS transfers, and these schools cost $50K plus. Same thing with NYU which is closer to $60K plus.</p>