<p>"SATs aren't everything..."
I've heard this just about a million times. My question is, what ARE they? I know that there are many other factors, but I'd like to know what role standardized test scores play in all this, since opinions seem to range from SATs as the be-all end-all to them being not particularly important.</p>
<p>I've heard that good SAT scores make you 'competitive' for certain colleges. Could someone please elaborate? If your SAT scores are exceptional can this be an asset, even a very small one? Or does it merely make sure you don't end up in the automatic rejection pile?</p>
<p>No one part of an application will get you in, as is the case with the SAT. While the SATs carry a bit of weight in decisions, they definitely won't guarantee anything, but they can be an asset if yours are high. It doesn't stop you from being an automatic reject. Thing is, it can be hard to assess the weight of the SAT in the admissions process since there's a strong positive correlation between SAT scores and other factors, like grades and ECs. Overall, though, SATs have weight but don't guarantee anything; a high score could help, but it'd need to coincide with other aspects (high GPA, good ECs, etc.).</p>
<p>Here's an often-used analogy. Test scores and grades open the door for you, a salesman of sorts. Your passions and qualities push you through the door. I would say a 2400 props open the door more than a 2100. Imagine a stiffer stick or stickier wedge or bigger foot that holds the door open for you. But just because the door is open, it doesn't mean you'll be able to enter. Some upper-level colleges say that 80% of the applicants are numbers-qualified by they can only accept 9-15%. So, those 80% of self-selected applicants had the ability to open the door. Now they have to sell themselves to the people in the institution to invite them in.</p>
<p>if you look at the admissions rate for 2400's , even at ivy leagues, its very very high. that said, someone with very high test scores and very low grades just seems like a slacker.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think the way to think about it is that if you have a 2400 on your SAT, if you applied to all what 2700 colleges (thereabous) in the country, maybe three or four would reject you for whatever reason. </p>
<p>Whereas if you have a 2100, maybe 10-15 would.</p>
<p>2400 opens lots of doors for scholarhips (especially ones based on test scores). Get a 2400 and possibly get a full ride to a top 50 college, I say that the score is worth it.</p>
<p>Also, I have seen that Harvard rejects about 1/4 of perfect scores, giving 2400s about a 75% admit rate, Princeton rejects over half, giving perfect scores about 40%+ admit rate. Compare those numbers to the <10% admit rates these colleges generally have. 2400 does not guarantee you anything, but it helps you stand out a lot. The difference between a 2200 and a 2350 is minute (assuming all sections are 700+) and there is no reason to retake a 2200+ score unless you are sure you can get a perfect. For top school admissions (talking Ivys, Stanford, MIT, Duke, Caltech, WASP, those types, not Emory, Berkeley, etc) a 2400 means less because these colleges weigh the SAT less and see many very very good scores, but when we are talking about the next tier (especially since they give merit aid) a 2400 is a very good asset</p>
<p>It's a huge plus, more than most here want to admit. Just look at the common data sets for top schools. </p>
<p>If you have a 2400 and good class rank (top few students at average school, top 5% at competitive school, top 10% at very competitive school, top 20% at super competitive) you will get into most ivies. Even with only average ECs.</p>
<p>It won't do you much good without the grades.</p>
<p>If you're talking about the 'perfect' 2400, not merely an extremely good SAT score that places you in the top 99%, yes - it would aid you a LOT, seeing as how difficult it is to achieve, since careless mistakes are easy to make. </p>
<p>Even though there's a lot of controversy about SAT scores, and how GPA is worth so much more (and it may very well be), but GPA without the SAT scores is nothing, and vice versa.</p>
<p>I agree with Post #7. There is an actual financial value to perfect scores, at dozens of well-ranked colleges. Many will give such a student a full ride. Naturally the same applies to ones a rung down from there. And the latter may provide additional savings -- if being closer to home -- and/or special research opportunities if you're recognized as an award winner there & thus designated as a certain class of "scholar." I see such winners profiled on the websites of many an LAC, for example. (Kind of like doing graduate work as an undergrad, in terms of relationships with faculty, etc.) These select few are often admitted with the expectation that they'll pursue a particular field of study, which they are so committed to that the administration is happy to fund them.</p>
<p>A lot. It would bring up your chances in the top Ivy caliber schools to over 50%. Even though ECs, essays, courses, GPA are important, it does distinguish you from the masses of equally strong applicants.</p>
<p>"there is no reason to retake a 2200+ score unless you are sure you can get a perfect"</p>
<p>I don't agree with that.
I know several people, myself included, who scored above a 2200 and retook the SAT and scored even higher (I raised 90 points from a 2240 to a 2330).
Maybe it doesn't seem like much of a difference, but I think going up 90 points (80 of which were on one section) helps anywehre... I applied to a few very selective colleges, and there are probably half as many people with 2300-2400 as there are with 2200-2300. (No statistics, just based on what I've seen here on CC... Lots of 2200s, definitely not as many 2300+s.</p>
<p>2400 is sweet.</p>
<p>No matter how many more times I woulda retaken it though, I don't think I would have ever hit 2400. High 2300's at the most, since I've never ever gotten an 800 on CR (real or practice SAT), while I have several times in Math + Writing.</p>
<p>To answer the OP though, I guess a 2400 is a significant boost.
I had no idea Harvard accepts 3 of 4 perfect scorers.
Shucks.</p>
<p>Yes, Harvard accepts 3/4 2400s. But the people who get the 2400s are most likely valdectorian and have 10000 other AP classes and are really involved in school. </p>
<p>If you've tried your best for the SATs, move on and focus to other parts of your application. However, if you haven't, meaning if you've taken fewer than the 8 practice tests in the blue book, keep practicing until you see your scores plateau.</p>
<p>That's not true about all 2400s. I was (am) a 1600/2400 student so cocky that I basically blew off junior and senior year. I was top 15 in my class going into junior year but I finished high school something like 120-130/690. I have a riddiculous number of AP 5s and have a bunch of testing awards, but yeah...it's not true about those test scores instantly opening doors. I got admission into two top schools but could not afford them. I'm currently trying to transfer out of a Tier 3 school. Yeah...</p>
<p>Sorry for your experience dearsiryes - but let's all learn from dearsiryes' actions...</p>
<p>I had a friend that had a 36 on the ACT - got rejected everywhere (all ivies including CORNELL!) except Yale. She d/n have much else other than scores and grades... They open doors, but as people have noted, won't guarentee anything.</p>
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That's not true about all 2400s. I was (am) a 1600/2400 student so cocky that I basically blew off junior and senior year. I was top 15 in my class going into junior year but I finished high school something like 120-130/690. I have a riddiculous number of AP 5s and have a bunch of testing awards, but yeah...it's not true about those test scores instantly opening doors. I got admission into two top schools but could not afford them. I'm currently trying to transfer out of a Tier 3 school. Yeah...
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<p>u have perfect scores and going to a tier 3 school? that's very hard to believe.</p>
<p>With such a low rank it will be harder to get merit aid at top schools. SAT scores/GPA can get you guaranteed aid at many schools, most of which are lower tier schools.</p>
<p>
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I had a friend that had a 36 on the ACT - got rejected everywhere (all ivies including CORNELL!) except Yale. She d/n have much else other than scores and grades... They open doors, but as people have noted, won't guarentee anything.
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<p>Ok, maybe your friend set her sights a little high. I highly doubt she got rejected from any state school, or even top privates like emory, vanderbilt, etc. Any non-ivy school would have a hard time rejecting someone with a perfect test score/high GPA.</p>