<p>zagat - I mentioned applying because I just can't escape the prestige vacuum. ARGH! I'd probably hate Harvard while I was there, but boy, when I got to tell people where I went to school... It's really quite terrible but I imagine a lot of people on this board know exactly what I'm talking about.</p>
<p>SAT=MyKryptonite (funny name by the way), it might help you wrote in clearer English...I had some trouble reading that... Um, but generally, scores are just one part of much bigger puzzle. If the 1400 kid is better academically, personally, etc than the 1350 kid, yes, he has a better chance. But it's possible that if the 1350 kid were just an all-around better applicant he'd defeat the 1400 easily.</p>
<p>SAT=My, bottom line is that a non hooked candidate has to assist in the average/median SAT score growing each year. So a 1450 is below average at most ivies and a 1510 is above. Those 70 points make a huge difference. No way the adcoms at Harvard want to see the number go down, but they are pulled to let in athletes, URMs, kids of the rich and famous, prodigies, etc. When they then get to fill the rest of the class, numbers are a huge factor.</p>
<p>Semiserious, sure, I understand the desire to please friend, family and yourself by achieving. But it becomes unfortunate when your definition of achieving becomes so narrow that it is defined by 5 or so schools. They reality is those schools are impossible reaches for many people who will have amazing lives and careers. So keep your eye on the real ball. Go to a school that will do great things for you, work like a dog, and achieve your dreams.</p>
<p>Semiserious, does your school keep college books? Are you able to see who did and did not get into your colleges from your high schools in the past few years? You may also want to read through the archieves on this site. There were several great kids who went into the process this year believing they would defy the odds that we were able to watch. Keep your dreams but have a few great school where you're clearly far above average that you love.</p>
<p>No, IMO you'd be far better off taking the forth year to have tons of APs, leadership positions and ECs in general. There have been many threads on this topic. You get no extra points for being a year yonger and lots of points for loading up on exceptional activities and difficult course load. If you've exausted your high school's APs, take CC or university classes.</p>
<p>yeah, within three years, i would take every AP my school has to offer, including 3 CC (maximum allowed from my school) courses. So I dont think the forth year will get any rigorous.</p>
<p>We do keep college books. At my school, students tend to get into good schools with below-average stats because we are a very well-respected private school with good college ties. I'm certainly not getting my hopes up. In fact, I'd be thrilled to attend my favorite safety, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. (My other fav safeties are Furman and the University of San Diego. :))</p>
<p>The one I'll never forget Zagat, is the young woman from Singapore applying alongside my daughter to Columbia ED this year. This child so clearly loved Columbia and was convinced that the love and her 1370 would get her in. Well, she was outright rejected. It was the saddest thing. Kids, the odds are real. You need to be a movie star or computer prodigy to think you can get in without strong scores. This all becomes very sad.</p>
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what bands do colleges usually group the sat meaning like if some1 has a 700 and another kid has a 730 do they consider them the same like would the be from 650-690 700-740 and 750-800?
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<p>Statistically, the extra 30 points or whatever give a better admit percentage. And since I consider the (all other qualities) and (SAT score) independent in cases of small differences (up to maybe 50 points) it would seem that SAT score is a crucial tie-breaker.</p>
<p>Where do you go semiserious? I go to a top prep where colleges understand you're still a top student if you're in the top 20%, but no way they forgive lower SAT scores. We're deemed to have the best teaching and expected to score much higher than average.</p>
<p>I'd rather not say, but it's in Southern California and we have strong ties to many colleges. The name of my school is in some cases enough to warrant extra consideration for a student that otherwise would be rejected.</p>
<p>Though I think Suze had an excellent point, Extra consideration on low SAT scores does not seem possible. I am a Socal private school mother (a school that gets as much consideration as any) and I've never seen that done. Have you spoken to your counselor, honey? As far as I have seen, they will be honest with you and your folks so as to to have to face wrath later.</p>
<p>Kirmum: you are spot on. Any private prep school will have great GC's. They would be the best source of info, and can explain how and why some low stat kids got into top schools (and if they had a legacy, hook, athlete, etc.)</p>
<p>Whitney also had a great point. Some kids do significantly better on the ACT. Whitney's ACT-31 converts into a ~1380 SAT, which is mid-point (or better) for each of the schools originally posted.</p>
<p>semi: you might pickup the ACT book at the local B&N and try a practice test or two to see how you do. The first ACT administration is in Sept so it doesn't conflict with the SAT. Moreover, you can score report -- you don't even have to list your HS when you register for the ACT, so only you will know your score.</p>
<p>Even if the New SAT is different from the old SAT, an adcom will always know how to interpret a %-ile.</p>
<p>Please keep in mind that while schools like to talk about "rejection 50% of their 1600 scoring applicants", this implies that 50% get in, which is a dramatically higher admissions rate than those for lower scorers.</p>
<p>Providing the rest of your package is already there, an SAT in the 1450 (classic scale) range won't keep you out however.</p>
<p>My roomate in college was from Orange County, attending a rich wealthy private. There were plenty like him at school so your assertion that your school will get extra consideration is certainly not off.</p>
<p>Alot of schools says that SAT is not everything. But if an adcom sees a low gpa, high scoring kid, they might think that the kid is bored in class. It's not the same the other way around.</p>
<p>one case doesn't prove anything.
Also I think this is a fact:
SAT are still important although they might not be as important as they did in the past generally excluding the anomalies.</p>
<p>I wish you luck, but the SAT score is very important. It's like splitting hair. For selective schools you mentioned, only minor differences exist between so many excellent candidates, even a so-so recomendation perhaps from a teacher who is modest in nature or not a good writer, or had a bad day will cost you. Suze did not overestimate the importance of SAT. Work on bringing up your math this summer.</p>
<p>Second point, too much has been made about 1600s getting rejected by Harvard. How many of them got into Yale,Columbia or Princeton? I bet many. And how many 1600's Yale rejects were picked up by MIT,Stanford...etc?</p>
<p>Acceptedtocollegealready - Asserting that the determining factor of success is the person, not the school, does not contradict with my desire to attend Duke, Wake Forest, or UVA. In case you failed to notice, I did not and have never asked about my chances at Ivy League schools. I am interested in Duke (and Wake Forest, and UVA) because of their outstanding school spirit--my top criteria. The fact that it is an outstanding school is icing on the cake. I'd want to attend Duke even if it were ranked 135th.</p>
<p>Your post was rude and uncalled for. I am not insecure, or any more insecure than anyone else on this board. I was merely curious about the importance of the SATs for admittance to the schools I am interested in, and in which I happened to be interested for MORE than just academics.</p>
<p>If you are the type of person who attends "top schools", I can honestly say I share your desire to not attend with you.</p>
<p>EDIT - LOL NEVERMIND. Apparently you got banned or something. Haha.</p>