I’m asking this question for a friend of mine who’s hoping to apply to Yale. He scored 1700 on the SAT when he first took it-largely because of difficulties with the test, rather than an inability to answer the questions. This is one of my full-IB school’s top students, with a strong application in every other respect, and I know he’s eminently capable of doing well in college, but standardized testing really isn’t his thing.
On his second try, he improved to a 1940, and now he’s scoring in the 2100 range on practice tests. However, Yale requires applicants to report all SAT scores. What he wants to know is this: assuming a score of 2100 or more, will the 1700 and the 1940 be a significant problem at Yale?
Yes, I know that predicted scores or assumed scores are a shot in the dark. My friend doesn’t want a chance-just an answer on the relevance of his past scores, if he improves his SAT by enough.
*My friend tried the ACT, and the results were such that it clearly isn’t an alternative.
***He’s also applying to some test-optional schools. He just wants an answer to this question on Yale specifically (E-mailed Yale and they just recited the usual spiel about admissions being holistic but standardized tests being taken into account).
Yes! With those scores s/he practically has no chance! They would not even read the rest of her/his application! Even Malale with a Nobel prize in her hand and no SAT could not escape that (though for Stanford)!
…unless she scores 2300+ next time to make up for that past and convince them to look at the past as an alnormaly (though even then will be tough, as it happened twice).
I understand that there needs to be some culling when a school has 35,000 applications to sift through, but I can’t help feeling that it’s a stretch to say that Malala (or someone with EC achievements that are 1-2 steps down) wouldn’t get in with a 1700, a 1940, and then 2300+.
On another note, what about colleges that superscore? Would they still hold low scores like these against an applicant?
Finally, my friend is of course a little dejected, but he’s also wondering whether cracking 2100 and then “confirming” that showing with another score in the same range would help.
Right or wrong, yes they are that important. Here are some relevant data points that you can communicate to your friend–The average SAT score composite at Yale is a 2265. The 25th percentile SAT score is 2140, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 2390. In other words, a 2140 places you below average, while a 2390 will move you up to above average.
I can only speak from my own experience, as middle D is a soph at Y. Her case is also singular, as she was both an URM and a recruited athlete, and her score was close to 2200 (and she just took the SAT and ACT once each–ACT 34). And so yes, it does make a difference–not so much I think in being accepted (because everyone is uber qualified), but rather a way of thinning out the stacks.
So called “cracking 2100” is not a big deal for a school like Yale, and “reconfirmung” of that makes things even worse! Sorry if I am so blunt with you!
Test scores are huge deals for schools, especially for the elit ones. These tests help them to differentiate between the very best students. That is why these tests are called Standard(ization) tests in the first place!
@uclaparent9 If I understand correctly, he’s hoping that in confirming a 2100+ score Yale will at least treat him as a 2100 applicant (who would need to have a very strong application in other ways) rather than a 1700 applicant (who would presumably need to be a nationally ranked athlete, a URM, and maybe cure cancer along the way.
Given the stats @boolaHI cited, I think his hope isn’t so much to benefit from SAT scores (it’s pretty clear those will be a strike against him) as to avoid sending an application that’ll go straight to the trash can. And, while I can understand that an unhooked 1940 would likely end up there, I’d like to think a student who’s shown he can score 2100+ would at least get a proper read.
Look at it like this if Yale read about two students with straight A’s from two different schools, one with a very competitive curriculum and the other with a less competitive one. What is the easiest way (objectively) to compare them? These tests can provide an easy answer (though I agree would not give the whole picture, which in the next step ECs can provide). But your friend needs to pass this first step!
To be clear, even a 1700, for a heavily recruited athlete would be a stretch. And in that example, they would place the person at a 5th year prep school to improve by at least 200-300 points. Now, that said, he will get a read, but having a bit of knowledge about the adcom process (so in addition to my D, one of my best friends was previously a Dean there) if it does not at least meet some minimum outliers, so the low 2100s, it will be designated for no further action.
@uclaparent9 That’s what I’m wondering about. If his SAT trajectory looks something like this:
1700–>1940–>2130–>2100
Or even:
1700–>1940–>2110–>2200+
Will Yale at least see that my friend is capable of achieving results in their “might admit” range and give his application a read?
If that’s the case, I think a combination of SAT II scores (both 700+), grades (IB predicted grades are 40.5 out of 42), ECs (stellar), and awards (some local/national awards in a small European country) would give him a fighting chance, albeit one that wouldn’t be as great as it could be with better test scores.
If Yale is likely to look at his past scores and discount a score that’s near their 25% mark, or even two scores in and around that range, that sucks, plain and simple. I suppose test-optional schools will then be the way to go.
I think Yale does look at the highest score–however, 2100 still isn’t a very high score, without a pretty strong hook, which you haven’t mentioned. I guess I’d say that if he really does get a score over 2100, and is a sterling applicant otherwise, it’s not crazy to apply to Yale. But he should have plenty of other options.
@Nerdyparent As mentioned in my original post, that’s not really an option. First ACT score makes it a nonstarter, and my friend had trouble cracking 25 in 5-6 practice tests he took after his score came back.
I suppose test-optional schools will then be the way to go.