SAT vs IB

Applying to College
1

<p>How important do people think the SAT/ACT will be compared to the IB and GPA?</p>

2

<p>Frankly, I don't think that the SAT will be any less important for you than for anyone else. Nobody is born being used to the SAT. If you don't study for it, that's too bad for you.</p>

<p>You will certainly agree that the SAT measures a different set of skills than the IB tests. So why should colleges see the IB as a substitute for the SAT? American students who have taken AP tests in math, English, history, a foreign language... by the end of junior year still have to take the SAT...</p>

3

<p>Ummm... IB should be compared more to the AP. Anyways, the SAT is DEFINITELY more influential, since it is a REQUIRED score, while AP, IB is optional. Ask youself if the AP weighs more than SAT... well, the answer would obviously be NO. However, the IB scores DO matter, but not as much as SATs</p>

4

<p>Well, orginally I applied only to European universities so what I meant was that I didnt have courses or classes on the SAT. I will agree that the SAT measures different things than the IB. I think the IB tests real life skills and that the SAT measures skills which aren't nearly as important. There no way you can compare HL English where the final score is based on 2 orals, 2 essays, and 2 4 hour examinations to the reading comprehension or essay part of the SAT/ACT. The math section is also nothing compared to HL Mathmatics. From my understanding one of the main reasons universities require ACT/SAT's is because they are marked externally and seperate from subjectivity, as opposed to GPA which depends on the teacher or class. A major problem with the IB that people rarely know about is that teachers predictions (the basis for student acceptance to universities) are often way to high meaning that they are accepted on grades that they dont really deserve. If someone already has the IB scores that it shows universities that these were the real scores that a student received in topics such as english, math, and history which are MUCH more challanging that the SAT/ACT. And just to let you know its not that I dont want to study for them, its just that I just decided to move here and I have one chance to take the SAT before attending university and I am not going to be completly prepared since I am not used to it.</p>

<p>So with that I just changed the question to ask which score people think will be more importance in the admissions process.</p>

5

<p>I think you will find that schools in the U.S. will probably not weigh the predicted IB score too highly...after all, it's not actually a score. They will look at AP and IB scores you already have, of course. But I have to think that the SAT will be more important to them than predicted IB scores. (I understand that in some countries, students are admitted to college based on predicted IB scores, and the actual scores must be within a certain number of points to maintain the offer. I am not aware of that procedure existing in the U.S., but perhaps somebody can correct me.)</p>

6

<p>I know many students whose Actual IB mark is lower than the predicted mark. Will they be rescinded by the u they're accepted to? What's the range you're allowed in order to be safe?</p>

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<p>IB scores are used to demonstrate initiative, commitment, and sometimes used for placement. They don't have a huge effect upon admissions or, similarly, the rescinding of applications.</p>

<p>Besides, it's not entirely the applicant's fault that the predicted mark isn't met. Teachers predict marks, not applicants.</p>

8

<p>GPA > SAT from what I hear. I have no opinions on this or really don't know.</p>

9

<p>The IB is like a substitute for AP classes. The substitute for the SAT is the ACT.</p>

10

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<p>Not so much GPA or rank as rigor counts more than SAT. GPA/rank actually is equal when compared with SAT. Stats from information provided by colleges themselves on the Common App.</p>

11

<p>
[quote]
Not so much GPA or rank as rigor counts more than SAT. GPA/rank actually is equal when compared with SAT. Stats from information provided by colleges themselves on the Common App.

[/quote]

You're a first to have said that. So hypothetically, a 3.0 GPA / 2250SAT has better chances than a 4.0 /2000SAT and the like (not a very good example, but still). All that I've seen on this site, skimmed through in certain articles/college websites, heard from admission officers speaking themselves, and the like all unanimously say GPA is more important and weighted than an SAT score, which is logical to begin with since it's one test.</p>

<p>The notion of stats is flawed to begin with; no stats can tell you if SAT = GPA because it's not as if admission decisions were totally based off those alone. I'm not sure what data you're speaking of, anyhow.</p>

12

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<p>If you've started a Common App account, you can search for schools and click on the tab that says "Admission Criteria." There, they will list different aspects of apps and their importance, from Very Important to Not Considered. With selective schools, more often than not, Class Rank (GPA) is as important or a little less important than Test Scores (SAT) whereas Rigor is always more important than Test Scores (SAT).</p>

<p>You can tell admissions that stats are flawed if you want to.</p>

13

<p>If you look at the scattergram for your high school, you will get some idea of how much various schools care about GPA vs. SAT.</p>