<p>Person A has a low GPA, but does well on standardized tests.</p>
<p>Person B gets good grades, but doesn`t do well on standardized tests.</p>
<p>Which Person (A or B) has the advantage when it comes to applying for the top colleges (i.e. Ivies)?</p>
<p>Neither... :)</p>
<p>oh yeah, neither is another option, too.</p>
<p>I consider my self Person B</p>
<p>Well, what does a "low GPA" mean? What does it mean to not "do well" on standardized tests?
Reminder: Generally speaking, only in special cases are people admitted to Ivys with LOW GRADES/HIGH SCORES OR HIGH GRADES/LOW SCORES.
So technically, both applicants would be at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>However, to partially answer your questions most top colleges (ivys included) prefer high grades over high test scores. You may commonly here the debate: 4 years of high school VS. 4 of hours taking the SAT.</p>
<p>probably person B
as much as I hate to admit it because I'm person A</p>
<p>killaerone, what kind of "low gpa" are we talking about here? as in lower than what UW?</p>
<p>low GPA - let<code>s say, 3.0 to 3.5 (since it</code>s highly unlikely that schools like Harvard would accept this unless you`re somewhat special).</p>
<p>not do well - put that anything lower than 2100.</p>
<p>some of you might disagree with this, but i<code>m just going with my standards. feel free to argue all you want. i don</code>t have the time for it, though.</p>
<p>kchen, 3.0 to 3.5 UW or W?</p>
<p>AHHHHHH! the torture of finding some way to poke me in the ribs and make me clearly explain 1234534565463 times... okay i`ll stop.
i`ll say weighted.</p>
<p>oh then weighted person B has no shot in hell at an ivy with sub 3.5
definitely person B</p>
<p>A solid G.P.A shows academic commitment and focus, provided that the courses are rigorous (AP/IB/honors). Standardized tests cannot adequately demonstrate a student's abilities in that regard. Therefore, Person B <em>should</em> have the upper hand in admissions. </p>
<p>This depends, of course, on how you define "high" and "low" in terms of test scores and GPA. While a 2100 SAT is considered relatively "low" in the Ivy applicant pool, this will not weigh very heavily in the final decision of an applicant with an impressive transcript. Factors like extracurriculars, recs, and essays are also collectively more important than SAT/ACT scores. However, no matter how high your GPA is (unless you have an amazing "hook" or show spectacular achievement in one or more areas), an 1850 will sink your chances at the top-25 schools. Conversely, a 2250 SAT will not bolster the chances of a 3.5 <em>weighted</em> student. </p>
<p>If you find that you fall into one of those categories, I recommend that you focus on other aspects of the application, like the essay.</p>
<p>person B definitely</p>
<p>less than 2100 is not totally bad</p>
<p>less than 3.5 Weighted is pretty low</p>