What counts towards Harvard's AI?

<p>Hello college confidential,</p>

<p>I was curious in what exactly counts for the AI reading. I have seen that class rank is used in the place of GPA (not sure if this is true), and that SAT II subject tests are also used.</p>

<p>Question,</p>

<p>Can I take multiple SAT II tests, and have them count towards my AI, can I also take other tests such as AP, and also have them count. Also curious if I can take the ACT, and several other things or only SAT. In basic terms, what counts for AI, and what does not.</p>

<p>Thank you,</p>

<p>Paul</p>

<p>AI stands for Academic Index, system used for athlete rankings. Incase anyone is curious on AI’s meaning.</p>

<p>When K1 was being recruited by Ivies they used the following inputs to compute the AI:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Class rank and class size, or UW GPA if the HS didn’t publish ranks.</p></li>
<li><p>SAT or a converted ACT score, whichever was higher.</p></li>
<li><p>Best two subject test scores.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>There was no place in the equation for APs.</p>

<p>I like this graphic</p>

<p><a href=“Calculating the Academic Index - NYTimes.com”>Calculating the Academic Index - NYTimes.com;

<p>and this tool</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.hernandezcollegeconsulting.com/academic-index-calculator-form/”>http://www.hernandezcollegeconsulting.com/academic-index-calculator-form/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>^ Got all of the info that I need, thank you Sherpa and menefrega.</p>

<p>but sat 2 is not required?</p>

<p>@sherpa‌ </p>

<p>Harvard states that it does not consider class rank. Bearing this in mind, do you think that they automatically use the AI calculation that considers GPA instead of class rank? If they do otherwise, then they’d technically be lying about ‘not considering class rank’. </p>

<p>The Academic Index calculator on CC is a generic one that can be used for all ivy league schools. According to the Common Data sets of Dartmouth, Brown, UPenn, Cornell, Yale, and Princeton: rank is considered “Very Important” or “Important.” So, for those school’s a student should enter their rank. As Harvard doesn’t consider rank, student’s should use their GPA. (Columbia doesn’t release their CDS, so I don’t know if rank is consider there.)</p>

<p>It’s an interesting question. The actual Academic Index formula and rules are carefully guarded by the Ivy League. But I do know that the rules are detailed and specific (from sitting in a meeting with an Ivy coach who referred to the book a few times).</p>

<p>My understanding is that the protocol when computing the AI shouldn’t vary by school (the formula at Cornell is the formula at Harvard, etc.) and that the protocol is for class rank to be used ahead of GPA if rank is available.</p>

<p>That said, it makes little sense for a school that doesn’t consider class rank to use it if GPA would suit it better.</p>

<p>More perplexing, what about Ivy schools that accept ACT w/ Writing in lieu of SAT and Subject Tests? What do they input for Subjects Tests for their recruited athletes?</p>

<p>And now that Harvard has gone (semi) optional on Subject Tests, are their recruited athletes exempt from that part of the AI formula?</p>

<p>^ Indeed it is Sherpa. I am so exited that the AI exists, because it gives me a dam good fighting chance at getting in. If athletes did not have this special recruitment, there will be no way in hell that my ass will every step foot in Harvard lol. I keep hearing that football AI is lower because all the smart kids like to play other sports etc, and I am posting a lot because I really want to try to do very well with everything the AI asks. I ask this question to you Sherpa, do you know of an absolute minimum AI (I know it’s 176), in which a athlete can be reasonably admitted without hassle from the coach, because my GPA sucks right now (2.6), and my class rank will likely be average, due to me being in a average state school. I decided to challenge myself and take 2 AP and 2 honors classes this year, and likely more in my junior year. Any advice or tricks that you have learned through your experience through the recruitment process. And if you wish for it to be in private, feel free to send me a message.</p>

<p>@Paul13375 [url=<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/sports/before-athletic-recruiting-in-the-ivy-league-some-math.html?pagewanted=all]Here[/url”>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/sports/before-athletic-recruiting-in-the-ivy-league-some-math.html?pagewanted=all]Here[/url</a>] is a quote from Yale:

</p>

<p>For football, Ivy League schools can recruit up to 30 players per year. Of those 30, no more than 2 can be in the bottom band.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.tier1athletics.org/2014/04/24/ivy-league-football-academic-bands/”>http://www.tier1athletics.org/2014/04/24/ivy-league-football-academic-bands/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>All I can advise is to get your GPA as high as you can, score as well as you can on all your standardized tests, and be so good at football that the coach does everything in his power to get you in.</p>

<p>And, if you are accepted, be prepared for others to think you don’t really belong there.</p>

<p>Thank you for the responses, @sherpa‌ and @gibby‌. I definitely would appreciate it if the Ivy leagues would just stop being so secretive and give us more insight into the mysterious AI.</p>

<p>I have yet another question to add to your list of AI mysteries, sherpa. </p>

<p>What would ivies do about international students that don’t even have GPAs? </p>

<p>Honestly, I’m starting to think that they may not calculate the AI for certain applicants (i.e. internationals or ACT-takers)- unless they have yet more unreleased, top-secret formulae.</p>

<p>They definitely calculate the for ACT takers. The AI handbook has a SAT/ACT conversion chart. I don’t know how they deal with internationals, but I’m confident there’s a protocol.</p>