<p>I have searched and read many threads on this topic, but still have a question about what this timeline means...</p>
<p>My son has done a fairly exhaustive college search and has narrowed his choices down to several terrific schools, including one very top Ivy and another very competitive university that is only a littlle less selective than the Ivy. He truly would be very happy at either one and would gladly submit ED applications to each if it were permitted. He wants to apply ED as the acceptance rates at these favorite schools are markedly higher for ED than for RD. His scores to date are competitive, but he really needs to improve on a couple of SAT IIs in order to have a good shot at the very top Ivy. </p>
<p>As everyone knows, the SAT testing date is October 14 and, due to the problems with last year's test, the results are likely to come back after the November 1 ED deadline. Yes, the schools will accept them, but strategically they also have significance for where he would be best advised to apply. If he knew his scores were strong, then he would apply ED to the very top Ivy. If they were not quite up to the desired level, then he would opt for the other university. Thus, the problem is that he will have to select between his top ED choices without the full benefit of knowing what his scores are. </p>
<p>Does anyone else have this problem and do you have any ideas/suggestions on how to approach this situation? Thanks for any help.</p>
<p>Of course, not knowing your scores can hamper your ability to decide, but, colleges don't usually consider standardized test scores that much, especially the really competitive Ivies and the likes. Another thing is that some colleges might only use SAT II scores as placement tools or treat it like another AP. In the end, other factors such as teacher recommendations, essays, ECs, and the transcript might be much more important in the decision making process than an SAT II score.</p>
<p>if that doesn't help much, then your son probably should just go by his gut instinct. He should know whether or not he did well after taking the test and the best he can do is to base his decisions on that.</p>
<p>I remember though, I had it a lot worse. I am a junior and I applied to college early, and to make it worse, I went ED and I made that decision the summer of my sophomore year. So, since I didn't have any test scores except for 3 APs, I had to take my SATs in Oct, and 2 SAT IIs in Nov. My SAT scores were not spectacular and the uni was nice enough to let me take the November SAT IIs which were 2 weeks after the deadline so I didn't even know if I was going to do well. But everything turned out well in the end.</p>
<p>Competitive colleges don't take standardized tests into account much? Look at the SAT ranges of those that apply and compare them to the unbelivable SAT ranges of those accepted. The most selective ivies have lower 25 percentiles above 700, and higher 75 percentiles around 800 (and it helps with ranking). They don't get those types of averages by not paying attention to standardized tests. In your case, I'd put my bets on the most selective, unless you felt you'd rather apply to the less selective anyway. If your high-schooler is doing very well in school and on standardized tests, I trust that by October with the proper studying they'll be high enough. I do agree with the previous poster in the sense that SAT IIs aren't nearly as important, though they do play a role. I think they're more important than APs, especially if SAT IIs are required for a particular school (such as Cornell's engineering, but I highly doubt that's the ivy you're talking about), but I think 700+ is a good range and that should be a problem. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if your son truly wouldn't mind attending either, then it's also an option to play it safe and apply ED to the school with the even higher acceptance rate, as the most selective ivies are deathly competitive. I'd choose the former option, though, and trust my RD chances with the less selective school, though I think both options are acceptable.</p>
<p>I think for a competitive Ivy, the vast amount applicants who apply can boast very good standardized test scores. Of course, if you have SATs of 2000 and you want to apply Harvard, then you're probably wasting your time, energy, and money, but if you are say 2250 and you really wanted a 2320, then it's probably not going to make a huge amount of difference.</p>
<p>Applying to very top Ivies is a difficult task for anyone and my impression is that the schools will use certain quantitative measures (SAT, SAT 2s, GPA, class rank, etc.) as potential "knock-outs." There are so many qualified students applying for admission that one bad SAT 2 score could be that disqualifier. Thus, the pressure is on my son to raise his SAT 2 scores to eliminate those as "knock-outs" and get the admissions committee to take more time, look further and evaluate some of the softer aspects of the application where my son might have some strengths. </p>
<p>With regard to the October SAT tests, does anybody have any hope that the scores might be back by November 1 as was the case historically? Or has anyone heard anything from any schools about a willingness to accept a late ED application, eg, a week later on November 8 by which time the student would likely have gotten back the test scores from October 14?</p>