The Safe SAT Score (ED Columbia College)

<p>Hi Guys,</p>

<p>I am at a quagmire here. My subject tests will be taken in October (Lit, Phy, Math II) and my current SAT score after two tests is (690CR, 750M, 720W) which brings it to 2160. I am worried that for writing and critical reading I am just above thee 25th percentile and perhaps that too because of many URMs and recruited athletes. </p>

<p>Moreover I am an ORM and international student. I do believe however I have good ECs, essays, reccomendations and I also graduated from the IB with above 40 points. I would like to apply Early Decision to Columbia College and I was wondering if my SAT will hurt my chances despite my strong grades, reccs, ECs and stuff. </p>

<p>All feedback appreciated and for the record, I am also considering Yale SCEA, Penn Wharton ED, Princeton and Harvard and would be great if you guys could asses my chances there as well.</p>

<p>Hopefully this thread will be useful for all others in the same situation (2100 to 2200 range)</p>

<p>Thanks,
Amrit</p>

<p>First off, being a URM does not garantee you’ll get in. I know a black girl with a 2310 that got rejected. They do get a leg up but honestly it’s about the strength of your overall application. (There are PLENTY of ORM at Columbia).</p>

<p>My cutoff would be 2250 but past a 2200 I fail to see how a few extra points will guarantee you admission and rather focus on boosting up other parts of the application. It would depend if I have the time to get those 50 points with a second test.</p>

<p>He’s an ORM, Indian, over-represented minority. Haha.</p>

<p>Why don’t you retake SAT in November? I doubt you’ll have problems with SAT Subject, so just use your last test date for SAT reasoning.</p>

<p>Thank you, I am getting 700+ in Lit and 750+ in Math II and Physics so I doubt I would have problems there. Nevertheless, by chance if I do not have time for another retake in November, is 2160 good enough? Thanks all!</p>

<p>Well, if by chance you do not have time for another retake in November, 2160 is going to HAVE to be good enough, isn’t it? </p>

<p>I truly don’t mean that rudely. But if you end up unable to retake, you’re gonna have to go with what you got. </p>

<p>If you’re confident you can raise your score significantly, and you end up with the time, I’d retake. If not, it’s really no big deal. 2160 is a really good score, but Columbia is a really good school-no matter how good your score, it’s still somewhat a shot in the dark. Good luck!</p>

<p>Thank you lilyrobin. Yeah I really do hope I can retake the SATs again but I just am not sure how much weight is put on the SATs apart from say ECs, Grades and other stuff.</p>

<p>Also guys, would be great if you would be able to asses my chances at Columbia ED with Yale SCEA, Wharton ED, Princeton and Harvard. I’m not trying to be a stupid chance me threader but honestly trying to guage a decent (but not great) SAT score with other good factors.</p>

<p>Columbia ED – I’m not sure how good your ECs are, but just looking at your SATs, you have a chance, just not a very good one. But then again, almost nobody does, and enough people get in to fill the class, so…</p>

<p>Yale SCEA – I would be very surprised if you got in. No offense, but since this is the only one of the big 3 with an early program, they don’t need to accept anyone with borderline scores unless they are a recruit, URM, or otherwise amazing applicant.</p>

<p>Wharton ED – I would say that this is doable if you have a very high class rank (top 5%), if you can boost the SAT a little, and if your ECs are very good and business-related.</p>

<p>Harvard – Good Luck, but seriously, getting in unhooked is like winning the lottery (especially for an ORM with comparatively low SATs)</p>

<p>Princeton – You never know what will happen, but I would put this down as another unlikely</p>

<p>I would advise you to look for the school that’s best for you, not just the Ivy League school that will accept you.</p>

<p>“Wharton ED – I would say that this is doable if you have a very high class rank (top 5%), if you can boost the SAT a little, and if your ECs are very good and business-related.”</p>

<p>I don’t know about this; I highly doubt that it’s “doable.” Lately Wharton has been just as difficult to get in as HYP.</p>

<p>

Word… …</p>

<p>By “doable,” I mean that you actually have a chance of getting in. At schools such as Harvard and Princeton, you can potentially get in, but the chances are slimmer.</p>

<p>^I would argue that Wharton nowadays (maybe not anymore, after the collapse of wall st) is just as hard to get in. It is also a more technical school, so comparing it with MIT and Caltech would make most sense.</p>

<p>I hope you have some other schools on your list. That list alone is not safe for anyone.</p>

<p>^sound advice, especially for internationals.</p>

<p>I do have safeties and matches of course, no doubt about that. But these are my dream schools. I am confident my ECs (and I am well read on this) would easily be in the 80th percentile of ivy league students, have some international debating awards (top awards), great reccomendations including one from a top diplomat here (after I did an internship in the external affairs ministry - only 3 get selected from the entire country) and ofcourse a great IB score. </p>

<p>My quesiton again was, keeping ALL this in mind, is a 30th percentile SAT score really going to stop me from gaining admission?</p>

<p>If you’re such a stud, why ask people on an online forum what they think of your SAT score?</p>

<p>You’re the best. I cannot imagine a single university in the world that wouldn’t pay you to enroll–that’s what you really want to hear right?</p>

<p>“is a 30th percentile SAT score really going to stop me from gaining admission?”</p>

<p>No single element of your application will stop you from getting accepted, but it can deter you from gaining admission.</p>

<p>A low SAT can put the rigor of your entire hs education into question.</p>

<p>Ah thanks, I think I read that in that A for Admissions book as well. Well I think I should retake it in November then to be just safe :)</p>

<p>Why am I not surprised, to realise that Srinath and you are acquainted?</p>

<p>I can’t decide whether Srinath’s or your college-app-frenzy is of a higher level…</p>