Could colleges not accept you if you have a low SAT or ACT score?

Applying to College
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<p>Could colleges not accept you if you have a low SAT or ACT score? What about a UC? What if you have a good GPA, except a bad SAT score?</p>

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<p>They reject lots of people with high GPAs and low SATs. It depends what you mean by low though. Sometimes a really high GPA can help more than a slightly low SAT will hurt.</p>

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<p>Hi kristgem,</p>

<p>Yes, unfortunately colleges can reject you with low sat scores, even with a high/good gpa because a gpa should postively reflect on your sat scores. However, sat scores are not the only factor colleges look sometimes and there are plenty of people who get accepted into colleges with low sats.</p>

<p>Regards,
Google</p>

4

<p>krisgem,
If you are a California resident and are “Eligible in the Statewide Context,” you are guaranteed admission to a UC campus. (But not necessarily the campus of your choice.) Use the Eligibility Calculator on the right side of this page: <a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/scholarship_reqs.html[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/scholarship_reqs.html&lt;/a&gt; to determine your eligibility.</p>

<p>It is often a good idea to choose three UC campuses - one in the most selective group for your reach (UCB, UCLA, UCSD), one in the middle group for a possible (UCSB, UCI, UCD) and one (or more) of the less selective group for your safties (UCSC, UCR, UCM). If you are UC Eligible and are rejected at all the UCs to which you apply, you will be put in the referral pool and placed at a campus with room. Currently many students in the referral pool are placed at UCM.</p>

<p>Good luck!!!</p>

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<p>I am a ELC student with a non-weighted GPA of 3.93, I have taken/taking a total of 12 Ap/Honors classes but my highest SAT score is a 1795,</p>

<p>Highest Math: 640
|| Writing: 630
|| Reading: 610</p>

<p>Should I be worried?</p>

<p>Thanks in Advance</p>

6

<p>^For Where?</p>

<p>Anyways, sure they can. Standardized tests measure your abilities on a national level. Curriculums are so varied and undependable across the board, even using standards like class rank, because you could easily be “cheating the system” in a variety of ways.</p>

<p>That doesn’t happen with ACT/SAT. These tests are a great way to truly measure your abilities on the spot, all handicaps aside.</p>

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<p>Nitrodude: your highest subscores are not used by UCs. They use that SAT test with the highest composite for admission. Thus, your 1795 SAT is the one they will use for admission. Since you are ELC you will be admitted to a UC regardless of your SAT score but that does not mean the one of your choice and your SAT appears to be low for Berkeley, LA, and SD but actually looks like it is in the middle 50% range for others. Also, high SAT II scores (which you do not give) could possibly raise your chances even for Berkeley, LA and SD.</p>

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<p>oh ya I knew that haha, but I am almost done with my application to LA, ha ha, Thanks!</p>

<p>edit: Oh hey, i was just wondering, is the middle 50% range a good place to be or not? =&lt;/p>

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<p>kristgem</p>

<p>What are your stats?</p>

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<p>alamemom - How do we know which UC we’re guarenteed admission for? I got a letter saying I’m eligible for statewide context - not the ELC thing. I thought ELC was the ONLY one that guaranteed admission… not ESE.</p>

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<p>

[University</a> of California - Admissions](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/pathstoadm.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/pathstoadm.html)</p>

<p>Star, the Statewide guarantee referenced above is different than the ELC guarantee. With ELC there are specific campuses that are guaranteed. This year the ELC campuses are UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara. [University</a> of California - Counselors](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/resources/askuc/answers/localelibility.html#3]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/educators/counselors/resources/askuc/answers/localelibility.html#3)</p>

<p>With the **Statewide Eligibilty <a href=“the%20admission%20path%20for%20the%20vast%20majority%20of%20UC%20applicants”>/B</a> students are guaranteed a spot at “a” UC. Yes, with Statewide Eligibility you are guaranteed a spot. No specific campuses are guaranteed. Some students try to “game” this by only applying to the most competetive campuses on the assumption that they *have *to be accepted at one of them. That doesn’t work. If all the campuses an Eligible student applies to reject that student, the student is placed in the referral pool and given admission at a UC that still has space. The UCs that “still have space” are almost always UCM and UCR, and occasionally UCSC.</p>

<p>If you have statewide eligibility, your BEST bet is to apply to a campus that typically accepts students with your profile so that YOU have a choice in what campus you attend. You can check the freshman admission profilies here: [University</a> of California - Admissions](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_profiles.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/selecting/camp_profiles.html)</p>

<p>Also apply to campuses that are a bit of a reach - you never know when something in your application will catch someone’s eye.</p>

<p>Good luck!!!</p>

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<p>Wow he’s in for sure… how did he get a 1795 SAT? PRO! It’s harder to get that score than a 2400…</p>

<p>But seriously colleges can reject you for any reason they want, even if you have high GPA AND high SATs…</p>

<p>Just hope for the best is all.</p>

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<p>YES why else would they exist?</p>

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<p>sure, if they <em>want</em> to…</p>

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<p>Schools have so many applications that they use the SAT scores as a cut off mark on which applications to initially toss in the garbage. Your scores basically get you to the dance.</p>

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<p>mom2collegekids:</p>

<p>I am currently a sophomore. I just took my PSAT and I know that I did horrible on it. I did do some practice tests. They weren’t very good. I got a 1560 or something, but my GPA is a 4.0. There is only one AP class offered to me this year, but I am not taking it right now.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

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<p>kristgem, you have a wonderful GPA. Be sure you get all your A-G requirements (your high school counselor can help you with this if you do not yet know what the A-G requirements are) and keep that GPA up. Take the SAT or ACT your Junior year and two SAT subject tests at the end of your Junior year. If you maintain your wonderful GPA (and it doesn’t have to be 4.0!!! Just keep it as high as you can) and achieve Statewide eligibilty you will be guaranteed a spot at a UC, and would have a decent shot at six of the nine campuses - even with a 1560. You will also have a wide variety of CSUs that would love to have you. </p>

<p>If you take a look at the UCSB detailed admission chart, for example, you will see that students with all levels of SAT scores are admitted <a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/pdf/ucsb_chart.pdf[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/pdf/ucsb_chart.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You are doing fine! Good luck!</p>

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<p>The single most powerful predictor for ALL measures of college success (freshman GPA, final GPA, graduating in 4 years, etc., etc.) is the HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT. This means, the courses that you take in high school, and the grades you earn in them. Every single admissions officer on the planet knows this. For fun reading on this subject visit [The</a> National Center for Fair & Open Testing | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org%5DThe”>http://www.fairtest.org)</p>

<p>Some colleges and universities (primarily public institutions) are so overwhelmed by the volume of applications that they get each year, that they set up ACT/SAT cut-off scores to thin the crowd down a bit. But even then, there often is a formula (often it is published right on the college/university website) that indicates which ACT/SAT exam score is necessary for admission with which GPA. In other words, a high GPA in a certain set of academic subjects means that a bad ACT/SAT score doesn’t matter, and an excellent ACT/SAT exam score with a marginal GPA can mean successful admissions.</p>

<p>If you need a score in a certain range for admission at the college/university you want to attend, take a practice ACT exam as well as a practice SAT. Often students who do poorly on one do significantly better on the other. </p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>

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<p>I thought that most colleges don’t look at your Freshman year of high school, but only if you followed the a-g requirements. </p>

<p>I never heard of the state eligibility for the UC and being guaranteed to a spot. I will look more into that. Thank you.</p>

<p>I am glad that they are getting rid of the subject tests for our year.</p>

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<p>The UC system will count your freshman year for fulfilling your A-G requirements, but it won’t be used to calculate your UC GPA. There is an eligibility calculator here <a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/scholarship_reqs.html[/url]”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/paths_to_adm/freshman/scholarship_reqs.html&lt;/a&gt; near the top of the right side of the page.</p>

<p>I made up a sample student: I put in a 3.5 GPA and a 1500 SAT (500 in each area) and then - since the calculator still uses the subject tests - two subject tests at 500 each. That student is UC Eligible and would be guaranteed a spot.</p>

<p>Another theoretical student: 3.8 GPA, 1200 total (out of 2400) on the SAT (400 in each area) and 400 each on two subject tests. Also UC eligible and guaranteed a spot.</p>

<p>In other words, kristgem, you are doing great and heading toward college acceptance.</p>

<p>(P.S. 1590 on the SAT is actually above the average of all test takers.)</p>