<p>D applied/accepted to 8 schools (Yale, Northwestern - Medill, Duke, U Miami, Syracuse -Newhouse, Mizzou Journalism/communications, U Colorado, and U Washington). I think the weakest part of her admissions packet was her test scores. They werent low ..just not as strong as her GPA/transcript, ECs, essay, teacher recs, and GC report. She receive substantial merit $$ from Miami, Mizzou and Syracuse.</p>
<p>Based on the admission results of her classmates - a stellar GPA w/ NM level SATs was not enough to overcome average ECs - for the Ivys and other highly selective schools. I can only guess about essays, teacher recs and GC report, but I think these kids tend to think their GPA and SATs are so impressive they dont work as hard on the essays. I know D was approached by several teachers asking to write her a recommendation. She even received calls from formal elementary and middle school teachers.</p>
<p>Ds friends who repeatedly took the SAT seemed to have the lowest number of acceptances. These kids clearly had super score results that were higher than the one ACT score D reported.</p>
<p>D knew her test scores were the weakest part of her packet, this fact made her determined to write strong essays. Also, IMO, she interviews very well (but Im her mother). :D</p>
<p>"I know D was approached by several teachers asking to write her a recommendation."</p>
<p>Tutu, I just have to say this comment really impresses me. Both of my boys are outliers in the other direction; they struggle to find two teachers that would be able to recognize them in a line-up, much less know anything whatsoever about them. Congratulations on an obviously extra special D.</p>
<p>SAT/ACT scores were more important than I thought they'd be. Merit money was def. tied to them at several schools. Son's favorite school rejected him, saying he needed one point higher on the ACT. They gave him another chance. He took it again and got the extra point, but in the meantime,the school had been flooded with acceptances and had to turn him down again.
On the other hand, two of the top-ranked schools accepted him, even though he was in the bottom 25%, after meeting with him before decisions were made.</p>
<p>It appears from going through some of the acceptance threads that once you are past 2100, other stuff matters. So I guess they matter as a kind of hurdle to 2100, then other stuff after that. But, it depends on the school also. Unfortunately, there is probably no clear answer.</p>
<p>My d. was in the bottom 25% at 5 of her 7 schools (and just above that for the other two). She got into 6 out of 7 - the one she is attending she'd be in the bottom 15%. And she provided no recommended or optional SAT IIs either. Didn't have a huge GPA, many APs, or very high class rank either.So obviously the schools could see beyond the scores. (But she had national/international "ECs" - in fact, you could say her application was mainly ECs/leadership/etc. and the academics were "extra".)</p>
<p>My S's SAT score, 2160, bumped him up I think since his UW GPA was about 3.56. He was accepted at Univ. of Texas (summer admit), Florida State (summer admit), Texas A&M, and Chapman Univ. (where he plans to attend). He was rejected at USC. His essays and ec's were excellent, and those in addition to the SAT score are probably what saved him from his GPA.</p>
<p>I got a 1970 and still got into Penn and Berkeley, the only two to which I applied.
I also got a 580 on the Math BC part of the SAT II, but I suppose that was only because I'd never taken calculus.</p>
<p>
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Both of my boys are outliers in the other direction; they struggle to find two teachers that would be able to recognize them in a line-up, much less know anything whatsoever about them.
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TheAnalyst- Have your sons select two teachers they would like to write their teacher recs. They should ask the teachers before school ends junior year or very early senior year. When they give their teachers the forms they should include a short info sheet (areas of interest, special projects they did in their class, connected ECs, awards, etc).</p>
<p>I believe my son's SAT scores saved his hiney to some extent. Took high-level classes but with a so-so GPA. Very good recommendations and ECs, but a good SAT score does show something. I had a sit-down several years ago with the UVA alumni admissions advocate and she said SAT scores are seventh on their list of seven areas they look at. It sounded like a low score won't hurt you too much if the other six areas are good, but I think a high score can definitely help you if you're less than stellar.</p>
<p>And thanks to Tutu--my oldest (just graduated high school) is the kind of kid everybody in the school knew (students, teachers--including ones he never had, coaches, principal), but my second (rising high school junior) hardly opens his mouth. I've encouraged him to pick out a teacher or two this coming year to make a point to get to know, but I'm already a little nervous about who he's going to get to write his recommendations.</p>