<p>Depends on the school. Judging from their own chart ^^^, Princeton seems to place great weight on super-high SAT scores. Brown a little less so, as the drop-off from 800 (X 3 = 2400) to 750 per SAT section (X 3 = 2250) is not nearly as steep. </p>
<p>[Brown</a> Admission: Facts & Figures](<a href=“Undergraduate Admission | Brown University”>Undergraduate Admission | Brown University)</p>
<p>Some schools say SAT scores don’t count nearly as much as HS grades and class rank. Again using Brown as an example, if you’re not in the top decile in your HS class, your chances of admission are a minuscule 3%. It may seem at first glance surprising that Brown rejects over 70% of the applicants scoring 800s on their SAT CR and/or M; but my guess is a significant fraction of those turned away at that level are students who underperformed in HS.</p>
<p>Best description of the role of SATs in college admissions is one I heard from an admissions officer at a top LAC who said: “The truth is, SAT scores count for a lot more than we like to admit, and a lot less than most students think.” Weak SAT scores will keep you out of a top college unless you’ve got a major “hook”; but top SAT scores aren’t a ticket into a top college unless all other aspects of your application are at a similarly stellar level, and even then it’s something of a crapshoot because adcoms are more interested in assembling an interesting and balanced class based on a variety of demographic factors and students interests and accomplishments, than they are in rewarding pure merit.</p>