<p>Most of the top hyper selective colleges have this phrase on their website - No minimum GPA, No minimum SAT scores, We look at the whole application not a part.</p>
<p>So I have a SAT score of 1350 out of 2400, will my application not be read at all. ( I am talking about the Ivy league. )</p>
<p>And if they would read it, how will they judge a candidate who wants to become the President of his nation. ( I guess he will be a different candidate because not many of the 30K applicants want to become presidents after all. )</p>
<p>Just trying to understand the holistic review.</p>
<p>This can be pretty confusing, so the best way to understand who these schools accept is to read their common data sets which lays out the stats of those accepted. You’ll unfortunately see that no ivy league school is accepting students with 1350 SAT scores.</p>
<p>All of these schools want to get as many students to apply as they can, the more they reject the more selective they become. That’s their goal. The truth is they are looking for minimum grades and scores, even from recruited athletes and others they very much want in their communities.</p>
<p>Holistic in this sense means they do not select students purely on statistics as is done in many countries, it doesn’t mean you don’t need to be within their ranges.</p>
<p>So what is the lowest score one can get and still get accepted - 1800 - 1900 ? Because there Common data set say that they do accept ~ 20% kids with 600 - 700.</p>
<p>So whats the BARE minimum below which your application won’t even be considered ?</p>
<p>600 per section, as Harvard says ( in a polite manner ) or 650 per section ( as MIT says in a polite manner ).</p>
<p>Your application will still be read. By holistic, the schools mean they will not automatically reject you due a single variable in your application. However, unless you have something extremely compelling in your application, your chances to an Ivy League are very slim. </p>
<p>I would imagine schools would evaluate your long-term goals based on your stated short-term goals and your past experience and performance. Do you exhibit a pattern of leadership (i.e. have you had leadership roles in student government?). Have you demonstrated an interest in social issues (through volunteering, ECs, etc)? Are your short and medium term goals congruent with being the President of a nation?</p>
<p>One more question - if you have great ecs, essays, lors, school record but abysmal standardized test scores, will the college tell you that if you score well in the standardized tests you might get a look in next time.</p>
<p>Ecs - clear cut passion and achievement in the political field. They will easily prove my political and leadership skills.</p>
<p>Essays - political passion</p>
<p>Lors - great leader like stuff</p>
<p>Are there no admits who have lots of non academic potential but poor scores.</p>
<p>OP- by admitting someone with a very low test score, a school is taking a risk with you. The problem is there is an overabundance of highly qualified applicants to the top schools who have the grades, standardized test scores, LORs, essays, etc to succeed- simply put, schools don’t have to take a risk if they don’t want to. If they are going to take a risk, there has to be something compelling enough in your application (i.e. the reward- producing highly successful alumni) for them to overlook your SAT score. If your SAT score is the one thing that is holding you back, can you just retake it? Can you take the ACT instead?</p>
<p>The majority of people admitted with lower than aveage test scores (average being about 2200 at an ivy) have hooks. They are recruited athletes, underrepresented minorities, legacies, children of the rich and powerful, staff kids. These groups make up a full half of the class. </p>
<p>The rest have tips- something the college especially wants- they are from states and countries that send few applicants, they have a special skill/interest a department needs, etc.</p>
<p>A 650 per section needs something mighty powerful alongside it. Clleges don’t tell you you’ll get in next time if you raise your scores. It’s harder to get into an ivy as a transfer than as a freshmen. Do your best wherever you go, bring up the scores and reapply.</p>
The candidate will have been elected already to the US Senate or be a Governor of a significant State. Otherwise, its just smoke. I suggest picking a leadership role more immediately attainable. Maybe head of your local Model UN or something.</p>
<p>@gradee - So if they feel that I can become a very successfull leader after going through every part of my application, can I still have a chance getting waitlisted atleastso that I can pull up my socks and retake the SAT or the ACT on the next available testing date.</p>
<p>Why would a college accept a student who has a 1350 and (I will assume) everything else awesome - awesome LORs, essays, ECs, etc. When a college can accept a student with a 2200, awesome LORs, essays, ECs, etc. Students with 2220s, awesome LORs, essays, ECs, etc. are already being rejected from top schools because there are so many of these ‘top prospect’ kids.</p>
<p>Also, you will not survive an ivy league school if you got a 1350. You will be sitting next to the brightest students in the nation, who are likely eons smarter/more dedicated to studying than yourself.</p>
<p>Ok I guess I applied to the wrong colleges, so which US colleges emphasize more on specific talents ( leadership skills in my case ) than on academics.</p>
<p>As an international student I am not aware of the liberal arts colleges, what kind of colleges are they ? Do I have a chance at Williams which has an acceptance rate three times that of Harvard.</p>
<p>Your application will be read, although that is very close to a deal breaker unless you are a top athlete in the country. It is true that they don’t have minimums, but you need to be realistic and look at the schools’ middle 50% for SAT’s etc. to see if you have a fighting chance (which, by SAT, you don’t at the ivys).
Plus I hope you realize that “wanting to be the President of this nation” is beyond unrealistic and they will laugh at your application if you say that. Please take a poli-sci course and understand the political process a little more. Thanks.</p>
<p>You haven’t old us what you’ve achieved in regards to leadership thus far, extraordinary leadership would be considered.</p>
<p>Probably not at Williams though which has a 2150 plus average SAT. Have you considered the score optional schools? Bowdoin, Bates, Colby are some excellent schools that don’t require scores.</p>
<p>You’re trying to make a square peg fit in a round hole. You want a so-called “top” college with a “holistic” evaluation philosophy that will ignore your GPA/scores – they don’t exist. There are plenty of colleges that will accept you. Just not any of the “top” schools.</p>
<p>Also, everyone has repeatedly given you advice, but you don’t really seem to be accepting it. Colby and Bates are score optional, but from the information you’ve given us, you will not be on par academically/intellectually with the other students. I don’t want to go to Harvard because almost everyone there is much smarter than me - I would be out of my league. Likewise, you will be out of your league in schools like Colby and Bates, where everyone is still pretty smart (but not quite on the same level as Harvard/Williams). You need to aim lower. </p>
<p>Also, you have not given any examples of your leadership skills. How am I, or admissions officers, going to know you have leadership skills if you’ve never shown them? I can tell Harvard that I’m the best painter in the world, but I have no paintings to prove it.</p>
<p>Best of luck with wherever you decide to go…</p>