gibby
July 26, 2014, 9:42pm
28
<p>Yes, let’s look at actual statements from the colleges</p>
<p>
With the SAT, small differences of 50 or 100 points or more have no significant effect on admissions decisions . </p>
<p>That said, our studies consistently demonstrate that standardized tests are helpful in predicting Harvard grades. Of course many other factors are important too, including high school grades, teacher and counselor recommendations, and intangible personal qualities that are reflected throughout the application.</p>
<p>We have found that the best predictors at Harvard are Advanced Placement tests and International Baccalaureate Exams, closely followed by the College Board subject tests. High school grades are next in predictive power, followed by the SAT and ACT. The writing tests of the SAT and ACT have predictive power similar to the subject tests.</p>
<p>– William Fitzsimmons, Harvard Admissions
Notice how Harvard places less emphasis on SAT and ACT scores than other statistical factors, which may account for more than half the class having a perfect GPA, but having an average SAT of 2237.</p>