Will ACT36 increase the chance of Yale SCEA

[vikings_hiccup]

Got ACT 36 (36/36/36/36). Before it, SAT 1570

Will ACT36 increase the chance of Yale SCEA? e.g. 5% to 15%?

[gibby]

Selective colleges use test scores to judge whether a student can handle the work load on their campus. The higher your ACT/SAT score, the less likely an Admissions Officer will question “If I admit this kid, will they struggle on my campus?”

So, a perfect test score (or a near perfect one) would indicate to an Admissions Officer that a particular student could easily handle the reading, writing and math work load on their campus.

That said, every year student’s with perfect SAT or ACT scores are rejected from Yale and other selective colleges. That’s because students need “the whole package” meaning that a perfect test score will NOT make up for a deficiency in the rest of the application (less than stellar GPA, personal qualities, character and leadership potential, intellectual curiosity, creativity, love of learning, extra curricular activities, essays, guidance counselor’s Secondary School Report (SSR), teacher recommendations and alumni interview).

So will a 36 ACT increase your chances? Yes, IF ALL THE OTHER FACTORS in your application are as stellar as your test scores. But no, a 36 ACT will not put you over the fence if your application is missing that elusive “je ne sais quoi” that an Admissions Officer is seeking.

Beyond that, I’m not aware of any study that would indicate how much of a boost a perfect test score gives a student, as there are so many other subjective factors considered when an AO reads a file. This from Jeffrey Brenzel, Yale’s retired Dean of Admissions: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/testing/the-real-role-of-tests-in-your-college-application

Students, when we’re on the road, we often play a little kind of quiz show game with students, asking what they think is the most important part of the application. Many, many students respond, “Well, the testing must be the most important.” It’s actually one of the less important elements in the file. The testing can give you a sense of what schools are within your range, and it gives the school a sense of what students in the applicant pool are within their range. The most important part of your application — bar none, no question, any college — is your high school transcript. Probably the next most important are your teacher recommendations, particularly if you’re applying to any kind of selective college or university.

[happy1]

A 36 ACT if combined with a very high GPA and a rigorous courseload will get your application a serious look at a top school like Yale. That’s about it. Every single other part of your application would have to excel to have a chance of acceptance.

[IxnayBob]

@vikingshiccup, I know your question was sincere, but here’s a comical take. DS got one math question wrong on the SAT. There was a really tough curve for that session, and it kept him from getting a 2400 (back in the day). He joked how he had dodged a bullet, since AOs so often liked to mention how many 2400 SATs their school did not accept, and that his reduced score thus made him less vulnerable to an AO brag stat.

Fwiw, he was accepted to Yale, and we think he would have also been accepted if he had gotten a 2400.

I think your estimate of an ACT 36 reducing the chances of rejection from 95% to 85% is not outrageous, if your other attributes are in line with your ACT.

[vikings_hiccup]

Is it a good idea to report both ACT 36 and SAT 1570 if a single perfect score may reduce the chance?

[IxnayBob]

Report them both. They are great scores. I, and also my son, was joking about perfect scores reducing your chances. I thought my last sentence made that clear.