<p>that is enough to get into an ivy.</p>
<p>Is my GPA low, though? I'm concerned because I had a bit of a dip my sophomore year...</p>
<p>I try to convince myself that it's because of my courses but somehow...I'm not convinced.</p>
<p>electricbaasheep: In case you can increase your SAT1 V to around 750, you will have a very good chance, as the average critical reading score at my D's school hovers around 690(average SAT1 is 2090). There will lot of competition with 700 SAT1 V.</p>
<p>Is your GPA weighted or unweighted? At my D's school +/- are used and GPA is only generated weighted.</p>
<p>Your load is not too tough from a prep school standard so I think 3.67-3.7 will not be considered due to the courses.</p>
<p>My D's courses till now, she is rising junior</p>
<p>9th:
Hons. English I
Hons. Pre Calc
Hons. Physics
Hons. Spanish II
World history
Computer Programig/Debate</p>
<p>10th:
Hons. English II
AP Calc BC
AP Euro History
AP Comp Science
AP Chemistry
Spanish III</p>
<p>what people on this site don't realize is that alot of ppl from non-prestigious/difficult schools easily get into ivies w/o very high sats. i've seen ppl from 1800-2100 get in. i wish everyone would quit acting like you need a 2200-2300 to get in to an ivy. there aren't enough people who score that high, that apply anyway.</p>
<p>Easily? Proof?</p>
<p>there are people on this website going to ivies with 500, 600s SAT</p>
<p>GAclassof2008: I think you have some hidden agenda to steer this conversation to URM or other special admission. But don't do that this thread was to discuss the normal students only, i.e. without legacy, URM, sports, or anyother disability or special circumstances does the school name makes any difference to your application or not.</p>
<p>Anecdote? (10 char)</p>
<p>I found an source with empirical evidence: <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/modules/newsweek/talk/082703_mathews.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.msnbc.com/modules/newsweek/talk/082703_mathews.htm</a></p>
<p>Look at the very bottom of the page:</p>
<p>
[quote]
there is a massive study of 1 million students, detailed in my book, that shows that if three students have the same SAT score, the one who is at an average school is more likely to get into Yale than the one who is at a very competitive public or private school. The reason is that the average school kid will be much higher ranked in his class, and the private-school kid will find that the Yale will only take four or five kids from his school, and he is not ranked quite high enough to be among them. Still, as I argue in the book, if you have a chance to attend the more competitive high school, you should take it, because that kind of academic rigor will pay benefits the rest of your life, no matter where you go to college.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This is completely anecdotal, but my daughter's friends from very elite private schools in our area had a very disappointing year with regard to Ivy admission. Her public school friends fared better. I have no idea why. The valedictorian of one of the "Ivy private schools" in the area didn't get in to any of the Ivies.</p>
<p>"The valedictorian of one of the "Ivy private schools" in the area didn't get in to any of the Ivies."</p>
<p>It is very well possible. One of the california private school I track has the following result for year 2006</p>
<p>Val: 4.12 SAT I 2180 - Going to Middlebury College and didn't get into any top school
Sal: 4.09 SAT I 2310 - Going to Yale and got into other top schools too</p>
<p>But you can see that the Valedictorian had a < 2200 SAT I, so just because you are valedictorian doesn't make you a better candidate for the Ivies.</p>
<p>You need everything if you don't have special status as the following two from the same school got into Harvard and Stanford with much less stellar result so go figure</p>
<p>GPA: 3.99 SAT I 2100 Harvard
GPA: 3.98 SAT I 2140 Stanford</p>
<p>Both seems to be early admissions</p>
<p>Don't panic as it is no insider information and school post its result on the web site in the above format.</p>
<p>Agreed that SAT is important - more important than ever. Ten years ago, however, it seemed that the top students at the local prep schools wrote their own tickets. I think it is just harder now to count on the names opening the doors that they once did.</p>
<p>True, but the competition is increasing. There are now a lot of good public and magnet school around the country that produce equally good students so I think you need to have everything to have a shot at Ivies.</p>
<p>None,</p>
<p>I recently had a convo FACE-TO-FACE with the assistant director of admissions of Yale and he clearly stated,</p>
<p>"We do not place a limit on the number of students we are able to take from a specific school. I admitted 1 out of 12 applicants from one school and admitted 6 out of 10 applicants from another school."</p>
<p>Agree again - that's basically my point - a student at a top prep school can't bank on the name just opening doors -they have to produce scores and grades just like everyone else.</p>
<p>School Name on its own won't provide leverage but can prove to be tie breaker.</p>
<p>
[quote]
"We do not place a limit on the number of students we are able to take from a specific school.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Hernandez in her book "A is for Admissions" says as much too.</p>
<p>ParentOfIvyHope school name on its own WILL provide leverage. Good grades from a tough private mean MUCH MORE than good grades from a mediocre public..
Unless you were trying to argue that in the case that both schools are equally academically difficult, then I agree that school name doesn't provide leverage, it simply acts as a tie breaker.</p>
<p>WHO decides if a school is tough????? the dumb students, or the smart students??? IT IS ALL AN OPINION, which means THERE IS NO SUCH THING,,,,,the only real INDIVIDUAL STUDENT decider... is standardized tests... which levels all playing fields....</p>
<p>
[quote]
"We do not place a limit on the number of students we are able to take from a specific school. I admitted 1 out of 12 applicants from one school and admitted 6 out of 10 applicants from another school."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>They all say that to get people to apply, just like when they say "we don't really care that much about SAT scores." It's not necessarily untrue: they might not place a cap, but the 5th, 6th, or 10th student from a school will need to be really special to be admitted.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Good grades from a tough private mean MUCH MORE than good grades from a mediocre public
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Excelling at a mediocre public does mean something. Being ranked 1st in a school where 60% drop out and only 20% go to college shows a lot of merit and motivation on the part of the student in excelling in a horrible learning environment. Private schools have many opportunities available to students, so colleges expect students to use all those opportunities.</p>