<p>I think it's bull when people say that your extracurriculars, etc are just as important as standardized test scores and your GPA. Anyone can be passionately devoted to a particular club/cause, but not everyone can get 2200+ on the SAT!
My friend is clinging to her opinion that:
SAT/SATII scores count for 20% when it comes to admissions
AP scores count for 5%
GPA counts for 20%
Community service counts for $15
Extracurriculars count for 60%</p>
<p>I believe that:
SAT/SATII scores - 40%
AP - 10%
GPA - 25%
Awards - 15%
Community service/extracurriculars -10%</p>
<p>**Standardized test scores & your GPA are the most important right?</p>
<p>GPA is most important. After that is course load (self-challenging). Then, SAT 1/2 Scores. These all probably amount to 50% of your admission.
I would say ec/awards/volunteering/everything else attribute up to 50%.</p>
<p>Also, AP scores are NOT considered in the admissions process (except by very very few schools; I believe Cornell is the only one I can think of at the moment).</p>
<p>It is extremely important to understand that you cannot quantify the importance of SATs/ECs/Essays/GPA. However, I will agree that SATs/GPA are the most important unless the ECs are curing cancer or something xD.</p>
<p>Top schools generally don’t admit students with poor ECs, students with poor SAT/ACT scores, and students with poor GPAs. This is why people say all 3 of these are similar in importance and is what holistic review entails. Some schools only look at your GPA and test scores and don’t weigh ECs as much; these are generally the lower-tiered schools (some of which are still very good).</p>
<p>Ap scores are not nearly as or even important at all at most schools.</p>
<p>If you have good SAT scores usually 2100+ good and good SAT 2 scores usually 700+ and a good gpa and good EC’s and good rec’s:</p>
<p>It comes down to the college essay which is probably the most important deciding factor at top schools.</p>
<p>Also SAT 2 scores and SAT scores usually validate your GPA, since some schools have an inflated GPA system, AP scores can sometimes also serve the same purpose.</p>
<p>GPA is the most important. Then the SAT and I’d say extra curricular activities (they want consistency) and essay(s) are really important too. AP scores don’t matter.</p>
<p>why is it that GPA/transcripts are more important, considering that many kids have similar grads, and dont colleges look at grades more as a cutoff?</p>
<p>^After looking to make sure that you have good grades, they will look at SAT/standardized test scores to see if the “SAT-grade” ratio is correct. If a student has a 4.0 but a 2000 SAT, then the adcoms will think ‘grade inflation’. If the student has a 3.8, but is in the top 5% of his or her class and has a 2300+ SAT, then the adcoms know that the school has grade deflation. However, a student with the same 3.8 and is only top 25% of his or her class but has a 2300+ SAT will sound off an alarm to adcoms (smart student, but doesn’t try hard in school). </p>
<p>Basically the SATs and standardized tests can be used to validate grades and be used as a sort of cut off. So, I think it is more of a combination of grades + SAT scores. I don’t think one can be viewed entirely without the others. Class rank, SATs, and GPA give adcoms exactly what they are looking for when viewed together and not independently.</p>
<p>I think the GPA can be up to 40%, and test scores up to 20%. Everything else in the remaining 40%</p>
<p>and AP scores aren’t that much of a determining factor in the admissions process, the fact that took an AP class is probably holds much greater weight. </p>
<p>I don’t really know for sure though; how much do you guys think the essay accounts for?</p>