Sat scores below the 25th percentile

Hey guys! If one has a sat score just above the 25th percentile sat score of enrolled students at a university, what are the chances? Does it significantly reduces the chances, is safe or it could go either way?

It means your SAT score is a weak part of your application.

If the other parts of your application (GPA, Rigor, Class rank, etc) are stronger relative to the school you are applying, I would say you have a good chance of admission. If not, you dont.

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Agree^^^. Your application is just not about test scores.

It’s my guess that the lowest test scorers they accept have something else the schools want such as being URMs, first generation, recruited athletes, some special talent…

It means that one part of your application is well below the school’s average so that is an obvious weakness in your application. It would not be an automatic rejection at most schools, but the other parts of your application would have to be strong to overcome that weakness.

Depends on the selectivity of the school as well.

At the elites where the acceptance rate is below 20%, I think it’s safe to say that almost everyone in the bottom 25% has a strong hook (recruited athlete, URM, progeny of someone extremely powerful/famous/rich) or did something very compelling.

chances are reduced, but you still have a shot if it isn’t too far off given that something else in your application can stand out for it

It means that the school is at best a match and possibly a reach for most schools. It is definitely not a safety unless the school is open admission.

Thanks guys! What are the chances If the scores are around the 50th percentile? My application otherwise seems okay for universities I am considering applying to.

You risk not having your application read if the pool is very deep.

Typically, students in the 25th percentile are admitted because the university wants them: athletes, big donors’ children, part of a population the university wants more of. If you’re not “hooked” (part of these groups the university wants) your odds are zero.
As an international student from an over-represented group, you simply can’t be in the bottom 25% and anything that’s below the college’s average is very risky. It would mean finding 3-4 universities where you’re clearly in the top 25% of the applicant pool in order to offset those odds.

For some schools my D applied, her SAT score was around admission average while her ACT score was at or above 75th percentile. I am sure some of the students with 25th percentile SAT score may also have a better ACT score. For my D’s school, around 1/3 of the students submitted both.