Perfect scores: help/hurt you?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>hello, I was just wondering: with all the talk about people with perfect scores getting rejected from H and other top schools, would having them actually make your application seem less favorable?</p>

<p>I took 3 ACTs (34, 35, 36) so I could get the perfect, but now I'm just unsure whether I should send it. </p>

<p>This should help you guys out:</p>

<p>Interest: Biomed/Electrical Engineering</p>

<p>Test scores:
ACT: 36 (36E, 35M, 35R, 36S) w/12 writing
SAT II: 800 Math IIC
800 Chem
taking english lang in the fall</p>

<p>APs:
5 - AP Chem
5 - AP Stat
5 - AP Calc BC
5 - AP Phys C
4 - AP Eng Lang
taking senior year:
AP Environ Sci
AP Eng Lit
AP Bio
AP US History</p>

<p>GPA:
Weighted: 5.64/6 (max possible is ~5.71 because of mandatory classes)
Unweighted: 3.93/4
Rank: Somewhere in top 3 in a class of ~120</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Big ECs</p>

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<p>Lesser ECs:</p>

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<p>I am also going to costa rica this summer to install solar panels in a remote village where there is no electricity or other means of lighting.</p>

<p>I guess the other part of my question is do you think I have a shot at the big H or should I need not apply?</p>

2

<p>…■■■■■…</p>

3

<p>Just wondering, who sponsored your research?</p>

4

<p>Perfect scores will hurt you immensely, because you missed the deadmark by .5’th of a point.</p>

5

<p>perfect scores will never hurt you. they will always help you, but other things are taken into consideration when reviewing your application.</p>

6

<p>Calm down rohin, I’m pretty sure he’s legit…</p>

<p>raneff: though it may seem like perfect scorers are always rejected, and lots of CC threads discuss the inclination to reject perfection, if you look through every one of them, they never state that perfect scorers are admitted below the average admit rate. What you end up finding is that people talk about headlines like “Harvard rejects 50% of perfect scorers!” or “Yale rejects 20% perfect scorers!”. But take note that 50% are getting in, or 80% or whatever percent…at least much higher than the 7-8% admit rate these days. Either way, the admit rate for perfect scorers is CONSIDERABLY higher. And thats partly due to the fact that perfect scorers tend to do well in other things as well. So your perfect score will HELP YOU, though it is the whole package that will probably be getting you into a top university.</p>

7

<p>I don’t think that the score itself will help or hurt you. It’s just that there might be a correlation between perfect ACT scores and the quality of ECs, for instance, which might lead to a positive relationship between ACT scores and acceptance rates that is not necessarily causal.</p>

8

<p>lols my bad!</p>

<p>i seriously thought you were a ■■■■■ for asking such a question. i mean cummon, how can good grades and scores be bad for you?</p>

9

<p>There was a very detailed thread on this topic a while back, with many helpful and knowledgeable comments. </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/377882-how-do-top-scorers-tests-fail-gain-admission-top-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/377882-how-do-top-scorers-tests-fail-gain-admission-top-schools.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

10

<p>I don’t think that taking the ACT again to get all 36s would make a bit of difference to your application.</p>

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<p>Last time I checked, 36>35>34.</p>

12

<p>Echelon is right.</p>

<p>50% of perfect scoreres get rejected, but 90% of non perfect scorers get rejected. I’d rather have a 50% chance of getting in than a 10%. Of course, there’s more to an app than SAT’s, but you get the idea.</p>

13

<p>You’re ECs and test scores are amazing, in easily. Stop worrying and stop posting here =]</p>

14

<p>lol, another “i’m going to help some remote, developing (if I said third world I’d get flamed for ignance) nation with my research instead of consulting people that could actually expand upon what my project has done!” applicant</p>

<p>meh, you’ll probably get waitlisted at worst.</p>

15

<p>Your ACT with 35 math is probably equivalent to 2390 SAT. There will be fewer than 750 college applicants with that SAT/ACT or higher (based on '07 score distributions). That’s an enormous advantage.</p>

<p>That research is awesome too. If your 3.93 is on a 93=A or 94=A or something and you’re at a competitive school, you’re probably in. Great recs and essays are a ticket to H.</p>