So my SAT break down is as follows:
M 780
CR 670
W 650
Would a college like Harvard feel that my scores are too risky to consider for admission?
English is my second language. I am an international applicant from ethiopia( a country located is east africa). Will they take that into consideration is assessing my CR and W scores?
PS. I a have a solid academic performance.(4.0 gpa)
I just posted this on another thread, but maybe you missed it: http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/mgolf/faq
If those are the test scores and GPA needed for a recruited athlete, Admissions is NOT likely to lower their standards for a non-athlete.
So what would Harvard think of your test scores? I don’t know, but based upon the statement on Harvard’s golf recruitment page, the golf coaches would NOT be considering you for one of their slots – unless you were the next Tiger Woods!
Wow, I though I was an OK applicant before reading this. So i guess I have to be the next Einstein to be considered for admission in regards to my field of study.
But, I fell the fact that I didn’t know the proper usage of an idiom or I didn’t know the proper definition of strange word’s shouldn’t be held against me. I was never exposed to such things in my academic and extra-curricular ventures. I think I can increase those scores to a 700+ with sufficient practice, but it is too late know, and no point is addressing those issues.
I now understand the rules of the game, and I guess I have failed it that regards.I should probably move on to another college thread at this point.
I recently sent this PM to someone else, but I think it’s good advice for all RD applicants.
Boy how do we have so many young people thinking they are among the best of the best? So odd!
Not sure why you’d think that. This is the most recent Common Data Set I could find, and it’s a few years old, so it’s only gotten more competitive since then: http://oir.harvard.edu/common-data-set . Several years ago you would have been below the 25th percentile in two out of three sections. Here’s some averages, may be from the same time period as the CDS: http://www.prepscholar.com/sat/s/colleges/Harvard-SAT-scores-GPA
@bodangles thanks, that is specifically why I started this thread…(don’t have much info).
@lostaccount I don’t no what to say to that…What should I say to you to show you how average I know I am?
Closing thread–My statements were interpreted too differently from what I meant to say.(Sorry if I came out wrongly)
I don’t think it came out wrong @sheroman2020, I think some people are being a little harsh. It is my understanding that nearly every school, even Harvard, takes into account when foreign applicants are non-native speakers of English. You have excellent scores, and obviously perfect grades. To the best of my knowledge Harvard does not publish a data subset of the SAT scores of accepted students for whom English is not their first language.
Of course getting into Harvard is difficult, even if SAT scores were not being used at all in the admissions process. Personally I think it will depend much more if Harvard thinks you bring something special to the class to add to the overall quality and experience of all other students, not if they think you can do the work successfully because it is highly likely that you can. Your essays and other information will no doubt reveal a lot to them. That is, I think, where the decision will actually be made in your case.
I don’t think there is any reason to close the thread. Trotting out the Common Data Set, which as I mention does NOT separate the scores of people such as yourself, is not really proof of, or even an indication of, anything. Harvard has far too much experience in admissions to simply toss out your application based on a 2100 SAT, which is still extremely good. So please don’t let that comment make you feel bad. I, at least, completely disagree with that comment and the tone it takes, as well as some others.
@Lostaccount - Your comment was very unnecessary, and harsh.
@sheroman2020 : No one else will probably do this, but I will apologize for the unwarranted harsh comments on this thread You asked a question. You did not deserve to be attacked. The “adults” who did so should feel ashamed of themselves. Best of luck to you in your college search.
Absolutely ridiculous…he never said he was “the best of the best”. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. Just say “your chances are low” if you have to put him/her down, you don’t have to attack his/her accomplishments. That’s still a fantastic SAT score. Maybe not for Harvard.
OP, assuming you want an ivy, consider Cornell instead. Still a reach for everyone, but not as far a reach.
@fallenchemist @AboutTheSame @JuicyMango Thanks for the response. The comment really caught me off guard. I just got my January SAT scores, the day before yesterday. I didn’t know what to make of it, but a person told me my scores are good for some schools schools and low for some schools I am applying to.
So I opened this thread just to see were I stand in regards to my scores. But I feel it is also natural for me to try to defend my scores, as I am at the bottom end of the pile. At least I know were I stand now.
@nw2this To be honest I am not obsessed with Harvard, I am doing this because it might be a good opportunity for me. I lived long enough to know that there are way way too many bad things that can happen to a person than not going to Harvard.
Sorry if my comments seemed too harsh. I meant to have a longer post to explain further. There has been a rash of posts from students wanting only Ivy League or sometimes just Harvard. There are about 30,000 high schools in the US. There are 13,899 places in the entry classes of Ivy League Schools. And for Harvard there are about 1600 places in the freshman class. It is surprising to me how many students believe that they are competitive for one of them.
Then what is a “competitive” SAT score?
They may consider your scores lopsided…and continue to read your app. If you’re STEM and have the right experiences and write well in the app, they may be ok with the 670 CR. Some of this will also depend on your school, its rigor. But you have to understand that they look for more than scores, including the ECs. You need to look at what H says they look for, do the same for other top colleges, too. If you’re a junior now, you could see what needs fine tuning. There will likely be plenty of competition from your and other African countries. Be sure to look at a range of colleges.
Higher than below the 25th percentile, wouldn’t you agree??
Not to take this off track, but let’s get a few things straight. Yes, there are a LOT of students that are completely fooling themselves that they even have a chance for HYPS, etc. That is different from the students that have the credentials and are just sure they will get in, again somewhat fooling themselves. And that is different yet again from those students that have the credentials or are borderline and are just asking about their chances. In any case there is no reason to be rude. I don’t care if the kid has a 3.1 and a 1850.
But in this case, if the reaction were not so knee-jerk and/or uninformed, one would realize that an Ethiopian native does not have to meet the same standards for SAT scores, especially V and W, as a native English speaker. That is well established. Any HYPS admissions person will tell you that. The golf team has nothing to do with anything, since they are no doubt assuming that the recruit is American. I can say with a high degree of assurance that if the golfer were Ethiopian or Korean or Russian, was a great golfer and came in with those kinds of stats Harvard would be VERY interested.
So let’s take the totality of the situation into account. The fact is there is not enough data presented nor enough anecdotal situations to be sure what the criteria might be for a student of these particulars. My own intuition is that if the rest of the application is compelling enough, he could well be within their range. But I certainly don’t know that for sure. Maybe everyone else shouldn’t be so sure either, unless you have really compelling evidence that those stats don’t cut it for a student of his background. Otherwise, let’s focus on what we do know for sure, or if it is an opinion why we think that.
I would add that we don’t know OP’s background, what else he brings to the table. And that’s as important for an international as a US kid.