<p>I did more poorly on the Critical Reading section than I had hoped, but I got a 780 on the Math and most likely an 800 on the Math IIc subject test. Harvard turns away half of the perfectly-scoring candidates, but how low do you think a score can be to still be acceptable?</p>
<p>In general, the scores range from 600-800 on each section. </p>
<p>I know someone here who scored in the mid-500s in one section. Non-athlete, non-minority, non-legacy -- and didn't cure cancer. </p>
<p>Obviously, you want to get your best foot in the door, so being closer to the 800, rather than the 600 or the 500, would be helpful. </p>
<p>But a 780 is nothing to fret over. Treat yourself to some ice cream.</p>
<p>Do you know what that person's (with the 500 sat) stats were?</p>
<p>I made under 700 on every section and got in. Your scores are high ENOUGH...so worry about the other stuff.</p>
<p>how did u get in?!</p>
<p>For a fair chance, probably 2250 and above</p>
<p>luckygirl2k6, did you win some international competition or have some amazing hook? or did you get lucky :D</p>
<p>
[quote]
luckygirl2k6, did you win some international competition or have some amazing hook? or did you get lucky
[/quote]
</p>
<p>She is black. Harvard has notoriously lower standards for minorities. I think her advice to the OP is misguided, assuming the OP isn't a URM, because a white person would have (essentially) no chance of acceptance with those scores. As for what SAT scores are possible if you are white (non-athlete non-legacy), if your average isn't at least over 700, you're chances of getting in are getting very close to zero.</p>
<p>i think for the majority of applicants...you need over a 2100 (or an average of 700 in each of the 3 sections) ....the higher you go, the better chance you have.... though i have to say, their are some exceptions to this rule!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>
[quote]
She is black. Harvard has notoriously lower standards for minorities. I think her advice to the OP is misguided, assuming the OP isn't a URM, because a white person would have (essentially) no chance of acceptance with those scores. As for what SAT scores are possible if you are white (non-athlete non-legacy), if your average isn't at least over 700, you're chances of getting in are getting very close to zero.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'm curious where you're getting your information from. The admissions office? The media? Bitter white people?</p>
<p>IcantThinkOfAName2-</p>
<p>Thank you for silencing saxfreq. She/he responded with anger and tried to attack my character and information ("bitter white people") when in reality this is a very real occurence in college admissions.</p>
<p>There is far from enough documentation to prove its existence, however, it would be nice to see Harvard and other top schools release the data on their own. They are, of course, far to embarrassed to do so.</p>
<p>some more:</p>
<p>"A recent Center For Equal Opportunity (CEO) study found that in 1999 at the University of Virginia (UV), the relative odds of a legacy applicant being admitted controlling for test scores, rank in his or her high-school class, legacy status, and in- or out-of-state residency was 4.3 times that of a non-legacy applicant. By comparison, the CEO reports that the relative odds ratio of black-to-white applicants controlling for test scores, high-school grades, legacy status, and residency is 111 to 1. That is, a black applicant has over a hundred times better chance of admission [to UV] compared to an equally qualified white candidate. Of all nonacademic factors, the researchers summarize, race is by far the heaviest thumb on the scale.
Source:
<a href="http://frontpagemag.com/articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=8861%5B/url%5D">http://frontpagemag.com/articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=8861</a></p>
<p>"In reality, the average SAT disparity between Stanford's African-American and white admittees reached 171 points in 1992, according to data compiled by the Consortium on Financing Higher Education and cited in Richard herrnstein and Charles Murray's book, The Bell Curve."</p>
<p>Stanford has, of course, refused to publish more recent data. The disparity at Stanford will not be as high as at a school like Williams College, still very prestigious, which has a notoriously difficult time attracting quality black applicants because of its isolation and other factors.</p>
<p>i know of white girls and even an asian who got in with scores in the 600s.</p>
<p>That is totally irrelevant. There are a very select few whites/asians who get in with low scores- they probably have some kind of unique and unbelievable hook. That has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that standards are lower for blacks. </p>
<p>I understand that you are black and probably feel guilty about getting accepting when, stats-wise, there are more qualified non-minority students, but the point ICantThinkOfName2 and I made is not in question, it is a fact. If you have proof or some evidence that the standards are not lower for blacks (and not one or two worthless examples of when white girls with low SATs, having been recruited for sports, got in) feel free to share it. Otherwise, it only goes against your argument of equal standards as some would use your irrelevant statement as further evidence that the intellectual standards are in fact different.</p>
<p>By the way, Saxfreq is an URM (black) as well.</p>
<p>i was responding to this statement: "a white person would have (essentially) no chance of acceptance with those scores. As for what SAT scores are possible if you are white (non-athlete non-legacy), if your average isn't at least over 700, you're chances of getting in are getting very close to zero."</p>
<p>i'm not saying the standards aren't lower for minorities, but that it's not "nearly impossible" to get in with sub-700 scores if you are white/asian. these people are not recruited athletes, had no amazing hooks, and were not legacies. maybe it's because we're a feeder school, but there were many other students at my school with much higher scores that Harvard could have taken instead. these were just great kids in whom Harvard sees great potential. i don't want students to give up hope just because they have sub-700 scores, or a sub-4.0 GPA, and they happen to be white or asian. sorry to interrupt your little debate; feel free to continue.</p>
<p>Wow, this really is not what I expected whenever I began this thread.</p>
<p>No problem on silencing saxfreq. He/she was an idiot and didn't present info (because there is none) to back his/her disparaging remarks.</p>
<p>"Harvard turns away half of the perfectly-scoring candidates (kid<em>4</em>jc)" That's because that half usually does nothing but study and has no life...not kidding. Harvard wants PEOPLE, not robots.
Also..."I understand that you are black and probably feel guilty about getting accepting when, stats-wise, there are more qualified non-minority students, but the point ICantThinkOfName2 and I made is not in question, it is a fact. (desertman)" Why should she (?) feel guilty? Stats don't mean everything...if Harvard/wherever accepted her, they probably did so because she would fit well into that year's class. I go to Harvard and I've noticed that it's about an equal mix of "races"; maybe more whites, yes, but I haven't seen anything to imply that minorities have a higher chance of getting in or whatever. Have you thought about the fact that more who apply get in because less apply, so therefore the proportion/percentage WITHIN that minority is higher? Never accept a statistic without knowing its full context.
I hope that didn't sound bitter...I'm just stating my opinion. I really don't care, actually...just thought it was interesting that she should feel guilty about something that wasn't under her control. Harvard/wherever could have rejected her if they did find one of these "more qualified non-minority students". 'Tis truth, statistics aside. Either that, or she would have been replaced by another minority student.
Thoughts anyone?
~lb</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You are the one not taking everything into context. Minorities have significantly lower SATs, and I cited this. Also, the UVA study desertman cited shows that their GPAs are significantly lower as well. This is not to say that all minorities fall into this category but rather that the average URM is held to much lower standards than the average white/Asian student. I have no problem with colleges adherence to such affirmative action with truly disadvantaged students. The problem is when some black or Hispanic student who has been given all the same economic and educational opportunities as an advantaged white applicant uses his race to make up for his lack of intelligence and talent and thus undermines the intellectual community of the college, adding nothing but color. Moreover, disadvantaged white and Asian applicants are not given their due affirmative action. College should, for these reasons, allocate affirmative action on a socioeconomic basis. They, however, cannot do this because the decisively inferior stats of blacks and Hispanics would leave the campuses colorless.</p>
<p>I've got a white friend (who was valedictorian at somewhat large public school, and had some pretty decent ECs) who got in with a 2020.</p>