<p>I though that colleges have not really start to use the SAT writing score for admission use. How come people from this cc use SAT score 2300 as a benchmark?</p>
<p>Because then you're in the top 50% of students accepted to top colleges SAT score wise (for me, top = HYPSM and their peers, not all of the Ivies make it up here for me). You have to remember and an advantaged youth without a massive legacy or a sport to carry you into Harvard, you need every advantage (or just as few disadvantages) as possible. Getting a 2000 SAT won't keep you out of Harvard, but it puts you at the bottom of the applicant pool from the start. Getting above a 2300 is more of a comfort thing. Then again, according to my school's records, noone with bellow a 2350 got into Stanford from the class of 2006. Who knows how colleges do admissions.</p>
<p>No one with below a 2350? Does that include hooked applicants?</p>
<p>Everyone was a "normal" applicant as far as I knew. Like 20 applied, 5 got in, all 5 had SAT scores over 2350, the rest had bellow. This year the 2400 was waitlisted and the rest outright rejected. SATs aren't everything, but they mean something, or else colleges wouldn't ask for them.</p>
<p>Last year admission statistics at D school. One kid got into Harvard with SAT scores of 2300.</p>
<p>Question .. is not applying for finaid a hook?</p>
<p>venkat's info is bs</p>
<p>plenty of people get in with 2100-2300</p>
<p>yeah i've read from a lot of sources that if you get a 2200+, you're SAT scores are considered as high as anybody's because top colleges are placing less emphasis on those scores.</p>
<p>Venkat's info is not "bs" because you really can't dispute a fact. However, that being said, you don't need 2350+ to get into the really selective schools. To me, most people who score that high tend to excel in many things (not saying they all that score that high excel in many things). Thus, corellation does not always imply causation. As for the original poster's question, generally if you score 2300+ (and you apply to every ivy), you are probably going to get into at least one. (Not saying definitely, but statistics do not lie)</p>
<p>Fred's generalization is right, but you have to remember that, with the exception of HYP, all the other Ivies have SAT averages around 2100. So, this shows that they don't really care too much about the actual scores, just about balancing the class and the numbers. I think most of it is just a combination of your GPA, essays, and recommendations.</p>
<p>I think that 2250+ is good enough for ALL universities. It's 750 per section... not TOO bad. Ofcourse, a 2300 is definitely more impressing, but after colleges see a 2250, I think they'll start looking for other things in the app.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Everyone was a "normal" applicant as far as I knew. Like 20 applied, 5 got in, all 5 had SAT scores over 2350, the rest had bellow. This year the 2400 was waitlisted and the rest outright rejected. SATs aren't everything, but they mean something, or else colleges wouldn't ask for them.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You do realize that this really discredits your argument. If students with these kinds of scores were rejected or waitlisted, then this means that something else comes into play.</p>
<p>@tux</p>
<p>Your statement is really confusing. Let em fix it for you.</p>
<p>"You do realize that this really discredits your argument. If students with these kinds of scores were rejected or waitlisted, then this means that something else comes into play."</p>
<p>2300 is a nice benchmark for security. Having at least 2300 lets you think "Ok, at least I know that my SATs are up to par. Now I can focus on the other stuff." And it is nice to be able to say "Yeah I got a twenty-three-something."</p>
<p>Alas I can only say "twenty-two-fifty," but whatever. </p>
<p>From my school, two years ago one person went to Yale and one went to Cornell. Last year one went to Princeton. This year no one got in anywhere ivy, except one got waitlisted at Columbia. A whole slew of people are heading to Kenyon. It's kind of unnerving.</p>
<p>Personally, I don't have great ECs or any hooks to speak of, so I need high test scores to give me a boost.</p>
<p>Also, although there is little practical difference between a 2250 and a 2300, it sounds a lot more impressive. :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
venkat's info is bs
[/quote]
It's stats from my one school in the DC area. Of course there are kids who get in with lower scores. However, that is not the case from my school for the past two years. The class of 2006 had 5 get into Stanford all with SAT scores over 2350. They were all very strong applicants and got into many other good schools from Yale to Duke to Penn. It also just so happened that the kids with scores bellow 2350 were not admitted. This year, for the class of 2007, noone, including a child who scored 2400, was accepted to Stanford. That child also got into HYP, so his ECs and stuff were more than up to par for Stanford. I just wanted to show that high SAT scores are nice, but there is so much random crap that goes on, it's nice to know that your SAT score isn't the reason you got rejected from a college because it is the thing you have the most control over.</p>
<p>I guess getting over a 2250 is more a matter of just satisfying some underlying security within oneself than truly significantly increases one's chance of admission.</p>
<p>Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't those people that get in ivies with only 2100's normally legacies, hooked applicants, super-athletes, or noble peace prize winners?</p>
<p>No. Those that get into HYPSM with only 2100's are generally what you listed above. I would doubt anyother Ivy besides HYP's average SAT score is more than 2200. So of course lots of "normal" students will get in with 2100's. Even at HYPSM there are a few who get in with 2100's.</p>
<p>Again, as for interpreting SAT scores, I like this wise quote "SAT scores are less important than most people think...however they are a lot more important than any admissions officer will ever admit."</p>
<p>mj93, if you are applying to a school that is not need-blind (like WashU) then yes, not applying for FA is somewhat of a hook.</p>
<p>a kid at my school got into Stanford SCEA with a 2150 and he had gotten at least 3 B's in grades 10-11. His ECs were great but not spectacular either...no academic awards like science or math or anything.</p>