Secret formula for getting into the college of your dream

<p>Retake the SATs.</p>

<p>You know those who tell you that there is no difference between a 2250 and a 2400? Well, they are filthy liars. Adcoms most definitely do distinguish between a 2250 and a 2400. Heck, they distinguish between a 2250 and a 2300. Same thing for subject tests. 790 <em>is</em> much better than a 710.</p>

<p>Besides essays, the SATs are the only part of your college app that you have virtually complete control over and also are the most changeable one (your GPA and ECs aren't gonna change significantly in senior year). </p>

<p>Go ahead and register today. You'll be glad you did.</p>

<p>^ lol its a lot harder than said. ^</p>

<p>FauxHaux are you, or were you at any time, employed/bribed by the College Board?</p>

<p>/rant</p>

<p>I may be mistaken, but aren't contextual ads supoused to be little messages in the sides and not threads?</p>

<p>"don't feed the collegeboard...erm, bears !"</p>

<p>It's really not that easy...</p>

<p>wow getting above 2100 is already a huge feat, if you are a person who is obssesed with getting higher than 2300 then there must be something wrong with you</p>

<p>^maybe you're setting your standards too low.</p>

<p>me? of course not. If the standard score for the SAT was 2100+ then what is with the 97% of the rest of the US? Are we just useless? This is why I hate the SAT and other standardized tests they are not an accurate judge of character.</p>

<p>^Or maybe he is someone who has enough self-confidence to not need to get a high score on a standardized exam to feel sufficient?</p>

<p>I don't agree with this. I don't believe that the SAT can make or break your application. If an applicant had done well in school and committed to ECs and leadership positions, I do feel that 2250 vs 2400 is not a huge deal. If an applicant had slacked on ECs or school, a perfect score on the SAT won't get them in. Retaking the SAT is up to you, but don't put too much faith in it.</p>

<p>thank you TheMK99 :), my world didnt end when i got my SAT score, I was disappointed but I know that 30, 20 or even 5 years down the road its not even going to matter what i got on my SAT, what I do in my life is not determined by the SAT, I decide what I am going to do.</p>

<p>it's people like celestial and pyar who inspired me to make this thread in the first place. imo, the two are at the least inconsiderate and ignorant to some degree</p>

<p>of course EC matters. of course character is important. but for top colleges and imperfect applicants, it's hard to get in with pure EC and pure character. SAT is one things that set you apart. for most people, a difference of 50~100 points will help. 2250 vs. 2400 IS a big deal. you simply cannot deny that.</p>

<p>People obsess way too much over the SAT. Adcoms are smart. They know that the difference between a 700 and an 800 on one section is the difference of a few questions. Once you're in the range of the avg. accepted students at a particular school, you're fine. Plus, most schools don't even count writing.</p>

<p>wow FauxHoax, you're now getting to name calling? Just because I dislike the SAT and disagree with you doesnt mean that i am ignorant and inconsiderate. What did I do that was inconsiderate? I know that the SAT is a major part of admissions but it tells you nothing about the person who is apply. Actually it does, if I was an adcom looking at someones application and saw that they took the SAT three times to get their score from a 2150 to a 2350 I would wonder does this kid have a life. Now im not saying that everyone who does that well is a hermit that lives in their room all the time studying for the SAT but still. Showing devotion to an EC is much better than showing devotion to taking the SAT. And no, it is not the SAT that sets you apart, it is your EC's and other characteristics. Why do you think its called a standardized test? Cause it is a standard test that EVERYONE takes.</p>

<p>Secret formula for getting into the college of your dream?</p>

<p>Easy. There is none.</p>

<p>What sets you apart is what you are above normal on. It doesn't matter if that is the SAT or your EC's. Just do something to stand out. Or do /everything/ and go to Harvard.</p>

<p>Wow... I totally disagree. Officers know that the diff. between a 750 and a 800 is only few problems.</p>

<p>Nuh uh. In fact, if you score "too" high on your SATs and your GPA isn't strong enough, admissions officers may think that you are smart but too lazy to work hard enough in school. Tsk tsk.</p>

<p>The naïveté on this thread is astonishing. Then again, all of you joined in 2006. ;)</p>

<p>Go back and read the archives. Specifically, read the threads about likely letters. It's typically the 1580-1600 scorers who get them, not the 1480-1500 scorers. </p>

<p>Making statements about what adcoms "do" or "know" is a very risky business. Relatively little can be taken at face value, especially at the more close-mouthed colleges. HYP may not split hairs between a 2370 and a 2400, but a 2300 isn't quite the same thing. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Nuh uh. In fact, if you score "too" high on your SATs and your GPA isn't strong enough, admissions officers may think that you are smart but too lazy to work hard enough in school. Tsk tsk.

[/quote]

Nonsense. The vast majority of colleges admit on a numbers basis, and most of the colleges outside the top 50 would be quite happy to admit a high scoring applicant. Having a weak GPA will hurt the application, but that has little to do with how strong or weak the test scores are.</p>