<p>True or false:</p>
<p>In reality, for non-ivy league schools, having extremely high test scores can make up for low gpa/no extracurriculars/have a huge positive influence in your application.</p>
<p>My friend (went through admissions process) said "For non ivy league schools, if you have extremely good test scores, your set."</p>
<p>Agree/disagree?</p>
<p>FALSE. Unfortunately. :(</p>
<p>From the look of this year's UC admissions, false. Thankfully! I have a 4.3 W (4.44 uncapped W) but only a 2060 SAT (2080 for privates)</p>
<p>Yes if your courseload deems it reasonable that your GPA is low. (i.e. 10 AP classes in one year) Other than that it looks bad.</p>
<p>My SAT scores helped make up for my "low" (according to almost everyone on CC) GPA (89.5 UW, 101 W), but my courseload was a good enough excuse for a 3.45 GPA, and so far have no rejections =).</p>
<p>Oh, really? Because I'm going to have nine APs when I graduate but I have a slightly higher GPA. I was beginning to despair. :)</p>
<p>It depends... </p>
<p>For UCs at least, I have a less satisfactory GPA (3.7 UC UW, 4.15 W) which my GC told me would make UCLA and UCSD not a shoe-in, but I got into both. (2310 SAT I, 800, 780, and 770 SAT II scores among others 700+ scores).</p>
<p>High test scores do not cancel out a bad GPA, but if one is stuck with a less satisfactory one, good test scores can only help, not hurt... It's true though that for more competitive private schools especially, since there are so many applicants with BOTH high scores and GPA, one doesn't cancel the other out.</p>
<p>I have a 3.96 UW GPA combined with a 1960 SAT, and i got into USC. But I also got a 33 on the ACT</p>
<p>I think that good SAT scores make up for low grades sometimes... my 3.3 W GPA and 1970 SAT got me accepted at 8 universities including CAL POLY SLO, UCSD, UCI, UCR, SDSU. The only place I got rejected at was UCLA. I still haven't heard from USC (I am going to UCI though).</p>
<p>Flat out false, assuming no mitigating circumstances (low income, first gen to go to college, urm, poor peforming HS). The number ONE item in admission is your HS transcript. SAT scores are not a close #2.</p>
<p>bman: 'SC loves high stat kids, and your high gpa and ACT scores (99th%) made it easy for them. Congrats</p>
<p>False. Unfortunately. </p>
<p>I think standardized test scores should be weighted more heavily than gpa and should make up for a low gpa for the simple fact that it is standardized.</p>
<p>False, for the most part.</p>
<p>I am that case exactly, and so far, I've been rejected from UCLA, and waitlisted at BC. Accepted to UCR, UCI and UCSD.</p>
<p>-.- I had a 3.9 weighted GPA.... with 5 C's in my sophomore year. I'd say that if it wasn't for my SAT, I don't know if I'd have been accepted to UCSD or even waitlisted at BC.</p>
<p>I applied to 19 colleges because I knew how false that statement is. Or how subjective it is anyways. Some colleges might allow for it, but hm, too risky.</p>
<p>But at least it's better than low test score + low GPA. Then you're just out of the running.</p>
<p>what about extremely high SAT + high SAT II's + national awards?</p>
<p>would that make up for a below average gpa?</p>
<p>not an extremely low gpa, but slightly below.</p>
<p>definitely it would, i know tons of people who have gotten into ivys with low GPA (slackers) but ridiculously high test scores; and i know tons of poeple with high GPA who have gotten rejected because of low test scores</p>
<p>Is a ~3.5UW a "bad" GPA? Or is it "slightly unsatisfactory"?</p>
<p>Can I mitigate that by getting a 2160 on the SAT? Would I need higher? My first choice school is NYU Stern.</p>
<p>False.</p>
<p>High test scores can demonstrate you've got potential and are worth taking a chance despite your transcript.</p>
<p>However, it can also signal that you're lazy or have terrible work habits--that you should be getting good grades, but just aren't. The rest of the application, including recommendations, help colleges figure out the difference.</p>
<p>For the most part, false. A high GPA low SAT kid has a better chance than a low GPA high SAT kid. However, it really depends on what you consider low. A person with a 2.2 but a 2400 has a bad chance at a college such as, say, Vanderbilt. Even though his/her SATs are above average, the GPA is nearly inexusable. </p>
<p>However, if by low GPA, you mean like a 3.7 or a 3.6, that's a whole different story. A 3.7 kid with a 2250 might be nearly as attractive as a 3.9 kid with a 2000. GPAs mean different things and can vary. When they vary <em>slightly</em> such as a 3.7 and a 3.8 or 3.9, things like SATs can help see the bigger picture. SATs are one of the most important factors, and they can tip/aid lowish GPAs I think, but if the GPA is just crappy then they won't help much.</p>
<p>What's like "crappy"? Like below 3?</p>
<p>Crappy is like below 3.5...but it depends on the college of course.</p>
<p>I'd say that once you get below top 50 colleges it's somewhat true.</p>
<p>I had a 3.3 unweighted (about 3.6 weighted, depending on system), and a 33 ACT, and all SAT IIs over 700. So far I was accepted at USC and UCSD, rejected by UCLA.</p>
<p>Whatever that's worth.</p>
<p>Seems false... Though a relatively higher test score could help you a bit, it really depends on how bad/good your GPA ,extracurriculars, and etc are.</p>