There is a reason why Ivy’s might accept those with SAT 1900-2200 and deny some 2300-2400. I think it boils down to “accessibility”. By that I’ll give the following example: Here in Northern Va. we have a number of what I’ll call ‘elite’ High Schools where a significant number of students are NMF or score very high and represent the top percentages of their classes. Elsewhere, in Virginia you have a large number of rural High Schools that have no students as NMF and lower SAT scores, but still in the top percentage of their classes.
The difference? Potential wise there is none. The rural students have the same potential but not the resources. Most rural High Schools don’t have that “accessibility” in terms of resources (these schools are poorer and get less funding), extremely large class sizes, faculty is not as educated (who wants to live there?), and educational resources outside of class; labs, field trips, etc. are nil. One school I am very familiar with placed two students last year as “commended” on the PSAT (class of 300+). That was a big deal. These students are #1 and #4 in their class but have SAT’s less than 2100. If they were to go to the elite High Schools these students would probably be part of that NMF high SAT group. These schools just don’t have the resources.
So, “I think” the Ivy’s know this and know that these students who are outstanding at their schools (with lower SATs) are the equivalent of the high scoring SAT students at the more privileged High Schools and offer them admittance accordingly.
@mr68gto That is one of the arguments I really hate. It works to some degree, like the guy who got into all 8 Ivies. Sure, he was relatively smart by any standard. But, you get to a certain point that some minorities will start having trouble in college, simply because his/her foundation simply wasn’t good enough. This isn’t his/her fault, but it’s much better for him/her to attend a college where s/he can thrive.
The problem with our educational system, and indeed societal system, is that we think we can reverse the bad conditions given to minorities in both history and lower education by changing everything we do now and in higher education, in favor of the minorities. What we should be doing is not giving minorities with weak foundations the admittance to a high achieving college, but making sure that minorities have the strong foundation to potentially get into a high achieving college.
I know this will probably bring some rants on me, but honestly, I do feel sorry for the minorities or the less privileged, but I’m also working as hard as they are. Why do I (especially as an Asian) get a disadvantage? See, I understand the summer programs and whatnot that are only available for minorities. They make sense. They are trying to help minorities get into a low acceptance college with their own work. Making it easier for minorities to get into college isn’t necessarily helping them, or the society as a whole.
^If you’re admitted to a selective school, it’s because admissions feel confident that you can graduate from there. You seemed to have come up with the ‘struggling minority’ figure out of thin air.
I do know what seemed like “an average white boy” who was homeschooled his entire life accepted into an Ivy. Ended up choosing the AFA. Of course he had a couple languages including Chinese under his belt and quite a few college level classes too. Above average grades and test scores too and tons of volunteering
Eduard97. You’re right. Blacks deserve affirmative action but the top schools should cut out of all the other racial pools equally. If u look at the numbers the best schools in the nation put in blacks at the expense of mostly asians who are the highest achieving group by far- for perspective look at the UCs class demographics; the UCs have top schools too and go by pure merit- while other racial groups like whites don’t suffer and some even have higher acceptance rates.
@eduard97 obviously the US college system shouldn’t only have asians in its top schools but there are huge flaws
Hey by any chance can you give her e-mail id so that i can ask her if my essay is good enough or not?
Help please coz it will be very strong support with my following resume:
H.S GPA-4.00
SAT 800-CR, 800-M, 800-W
SAT M lvl2- 800, PHY-800, CHEM-800
AP BC(calculus)-5, BC(Physics)-5, BC(Chemistry)-5
TOEFL - 120
Basically i am a international applicant applying to various colleges(Ivy league)
Umm i am asking #PrinceMusic coz he’s the one who told about his friend who got into harvard with an awesome esay right?
@AwkwardAardvark Okay this is creepy and I don’t mean for it to be, but I DEFINITELY know your friend’s sister. We worked together at IHOP for a bit. I remember her talking about questbridge one day and being extra giddy that day since she found out that she got a full ride to Princeton. One of the girls asked her of her SAT score and she was like “I only got a 1900.” And everyone was astonished.
My friend (ranked 4th in my senior class) got into Cornell’s 5-year architecture program with an 1840 SAT score. She was really worried for months that she wasn’t going to get in, but being able to go to a summer program at Cornell as well as having some very impressive ECs got her in. Goes to show that scores really don’t determine admission decisions. Good things happen to good people 
hey do you mind telling me what extra curricular activities your brother was involved in?
I got into Cornell RD with a 26 on my ACT … Scores aren’t everything clearly…
Honestly, I’m not even sure if standardized testing carries that huge a weight. Sure, it really helps when you need a boost or maybe when you’re being compared with another applicant with similar stats, but in general, I see many more kids (at least on this site) getting accepted with 4.0 GPAs and less than stellar SAT scores. I’m saying this unbiasedly too – in my case, my SAT score is great while my GPA is mediocre – and it’s what I’ve observed and probably how it should be. Why should one SAT score that you take on one Saturday morning be comparable to a GPA, a number that supposedly represents your work ethic for 3+ years? People will argue that standardized testing is a way to measure “natural” intelligence in a way GPA doesn’t, but coming from an Asian female whose friends pay hundreds/thousands for SAT/ACT prep, I think that’s kind of BS. I would love to believe a good SAT score can offset a bad GPA but it doesn’t, and it’s evident in a lot of kids getting in with 1900/2000 scores but excellent everything else (grades, ECs, etc.). A score doesn’t define you.
Standardized testing is used as a metric for academic capability.
How else are you going to compare the academic ability of 2 kids with 4.0’s from different high schools? The only way is standardized testing whether its AP tests, SAT 2, SAT, ACT or whatnot.
It is flawed as advantaged households can pay for prep which dramatically increases one’s score while disadvantaged students can only self-study. SAT was too formulaic which made it easy to prep for (just memorize some vocab and grammar rules and you’re on your way), probably why they’re changing it.