Does higher SAT score = higher chance of admission at Ivies?

[GordonTheGekko]

<p>

Does higher SAT score = higher chance of admission at Ivies?

</p>

<p>No. At least not the way you’re thinking of it.</p>

<p>2400 has a modest difference between a 2300.</p>

<p>2100-2350 almost never has an effect on an applicants final decision by itself.</p>

<p>Under 2000 is a problem even for recruits. Between 0 and 12 recruits a year have this low of a score, in my best estimation.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

[JHS]

<p>

However, what if (assumingly) in the final round, or when selecting from the wait list, there are still too many candidates “with the same or very similar qualifications otherwise”, a lot more than the available spaces as always? Can’t the SAT scores play some role at all?</p>

<p>I’d assume (again) that nobody here considers the SAT scores (or GPA or APs or all of them) as the most important factor in college admission, so we don’t have to argue about it back and forth. What I’m trying to say - and what I believe the OP was asking - is that when ALL THINGS ARE CONSIDERED and EVERYTHING ELSE IS THE SAME (or comparably similar enough), those who score higher in SAT would more likely have a (little) better chance.

</p>

<p>Again, all the evidence is that when final, close decisions are made, SATs play no role at all. It’s never two identical people, with different SATs. It’s two people with completely different packages of qualities, and the admissions staff is deciding which package to take. Or, more commonly, it’s two oboists, and the questions are which is the better oboist? and does the other have such overwhelming personal qualities (which would not include SAT scores) that they make up for a relatively small difference in oboe quality?</p>

<p>One exception, however, is going to be second-rank athletic recruits. Given rules about team SATs, when admissions officers are considering people not expected to be cornerstone stars, extra SAT points quite possibly make a meaningful difference between two likely benchwarmers.</p>

[Qasim0]

<p>I realize that the SAT is being discussed from an objective stand point here and that cases are unique on a person to person basis, but I wanted to share my personal experience with all of you.</p>

<p>I am a Pakistani boy from the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. I am not the brightest bulb out there but I had my heart set on applying to all the top tier schools, from Harvard to Duke. I put a lot of effort into my college applications, but I could not obtain a high enough SAT score. My first attempt was an 1890, my second attempt was a 2040, and my final attempt was a 1970. I thought I stood no chance at my safeties let alone the top tier schools. However, I ended up being very fortunate. I got into quite a few good schools:</p>

<p>Harvard
Princeton
Williams
MIT
Cornell
Brown
Duke</p>

<p>Although I am still in disbelief, I guess what I am trying to say is that most of these admissions offices do approach applications in a holistic manner. I believe I was passionate about the work I want to do and I just wanted the opportunity to do right by everyone. They gave it to me. So I guess there is a lot of luck involved, but I agree with JHS that SAT scores don’t play as great a role in admissions as people think they (or as much as they used to).</p>

[agupte]

It does until a point.

The “sweet spot” of the Standardised Academic Test scores for Ivy League is about 2300. Some schools even have lower acceptance rates near the 2400 range when compared to 2300, which surprised me!

2250-2350 is the range you want to be in. Try not to study hours a day for months to increase just 50 points to 2400. I got 2250 on December SAT but have to retake to get above 700 in reading (690, 800, 760) and am considering Schreyer, CMU, maybe Princeton.

Get at least 700 in all your subjects and definitely get above 2250 on SAT, especially for CIT, MIT, Stanford, and Harvard, but do not go for 2400. If you are below 2200, virtually nobody gets into the four aforementioned super schools, especially MIT and CIT.

[skieurope]

This thread is almost 3 years old; do don’t unnecessarily resurrect old threads. Closing.