Importance of AP, SAT/ACT Writing, and Subject Tests?

[barackhussein]

7 years ago, in an interview with the New York Times, Fitzsimmons said

“We have found that the best predictors at Harvard are Advanced Placement tests and International Baccalaureate Exams, closely followed by the College Board subject tests. High school grades are next in predictive power, followed by the SAT and ACT. The writing tests of the SAT and ACT have predictive power similar to the subject tests.”
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/harvarddean-part2/

Am I correct in interpreting this to mean that Harvard places more emphasis on AP exams, SAT Subject tests, and ACT/SAT writing tests than grades in their admissions process? Does anyone know if this is still their policy, or have things changed recently?

I thought I would apply SCEA, but I am not sure anymore, because my grades are the weakest part of my application, and I heard most Harvard students had 4.0 GPA’s in high school. I have a 3.92 GPA from a school that sends 4-10 to Harvard every year. I have great subject test, AP, and ACT writing test scores (800 on 3 tests, 5 on 7 tests, and 11, respectively). Are these scores more important than my grades or are grades still most important? Is applying to Harvard without perfect grades a waste of my early application?

[gibby]

The comment is specifically related to TESTING not GPA. And yes, Harvard seems to value academic-based tests such as AP exams and SAT Subject tests on par with, or more highly, than ACT/SAT tests.

That said, your transcript is a 3-YEAR window into your scholastic ability, drive and determination – which is why your GPA and course rigor are **MORE IMPORTANT **than testing.
See: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/testing/the-real-role-of-tests-in-your-college-application

Students, when we’re on the road, we often play a little kind of quiz show game with students, asking what they think is the most important part of the application. Many, many students respond, “Well, the testing must be the most important.” It’s actually one of the less important elements in the file. The testing can give you a sense of what schools are within your range, and it gives the school a sense of what students in the applicant pool are within their range. **The most important part of your application — bar none, no question, any college — is your high school transcript. Probably the next most important are your teacher recommendations, particularly if you’re applying to any kind of selective college or university.

I’ve posted this before, but here it is again . . .

Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Stanford are all on record as saying “We don’t accept anyone in the SCEA round that we wouldn’t accept in the RD round.” That’s Admissions-speak for “We accept the best-of-the-best in the early round.”

If you are the best-of-the-best from your high school – meaning if you are academically ranked in the top 1% to 2% of all graduates from your HS class AND have top test scores – you SHOULD apply early somewhere. That’s true even without hooks, as the very tippy-top students stand a better chance of being scooped up in the SCEA round as they are showing demonstrated interest in one college by applying SCEA.

However, if you are ranked in the top 3% to 10% of your high school class – no matter what race, ethnicity or test scores – your application has more of chance of being deferred, as Admissions will want to compare your file to a larger application pool. So, think very carefully about applying SCEA.

If your 3.92 GPA does NOT place you in the top 1% to 2% of your high school class – as defined by your high school’s profile – then I think you stand a good chance of being deferred in the SCEA round, unless there is something profoundly outstanding in your file, such as being a recruited athlete, concert quality musician etc. That’s true no matter how high your AP, SAT Subject Tests or ACT/SAT scores.