How much help does achieving a 2400 really give an applicant?
- Achieving a 2400 gives an applicant 29 help.
For the very top schools, perfect scorers are accepted at about a 25% rate. Of course, these kids will also have high gpa’s and stellar ECs so it is hard to know how much of a boost a perfect score really gives.
Haha i guess my question wasnt clear enough. But what I’m asking is basically with the same grades and EC’s I have right now, would getting a 2400 lift the ceilings of colleges I can get in to?
It depends on the score you have now. If you have an 1800 then raising your score to a 2400 will make a big difference, if you have a 2340 it will make a negligible difference.
Yes it would help for an overwhelming majority of schools (probably not for the top 10, but it can help for schools with competitive merit scholarships like Duke and Vanderbilt).
As opposed to what? A 2400 would help you a lot if the alternative is a 2000. A 2400 wouldn’t help at all if the alternative is another high score with each subscore at or above 750. It’s pretty simple: once you have 750+ in each section, your score is essentially equivalent to 2400 (everyone knows the SAT’s prediction powers don’t have fine-tuned granularity, after all).
I doubt any two applicants have exactly the same stat, ECs, awards, essays, and teacher recommendation except SAT score.
Unlikely that it will make any difference except to make their GPA and ECs seem odd.
The OP will have to tell us what the alternative score was.
I have a 2400 right now. Im trying to decide if I should apply to the elite schools because I have one or if it will be a waste of time. My EC’s are probably subpar for the very top schools
You can’t get in on just a 2400. For example, 91% of the Stanford applicants with a Math 800 get rejected.
@idkwhereimbound, the top private schools all use holistic admissions. Grades/GPA, curricul a r rigor and strong standardized test scores are all necessary but not sufficient. A 2400 SAT checks off one box, but that’s not enough. ECs, recommendations and essays are important in separating applicants.
A 2400 (or anything above 2200 or so) is good, but with sub-par ECs you may have difficulty. A mor ed detailed profile would help.
Is your GPA commensurate with your SAT score? If so, top schools are definitely worthy a shot, even with sub-par ECs. I see kids get in all the time with those qualifications. Your weak ECs will hurt you, for sure, but they might not torpedo your chances. @idkwhereimbound
You’re asking an unanswerable question. “How much will a 2400 help me” obviously, more than if you scored 1880. Duh. Speak with your GC for suggestions on how to best ply that score (merit scholarships, auto-admit schools, honors colleges, reach colleges, etc.).
Congrats for sure. That’s a wonderful score. But what else do you expect people to say?
@idkwhereimbound - Post all your stats in the ChanceMe forum for actual advice
Test scores are typically a ticket into the conversation. Like have a degree may help you get an interview. The reason you see top schools with top scores is not because those school require top scores but because kids with top scores tend to apply there (and kids with top scores tend to have better GPAs, EC, etc) The box checked by a 2400 would also be checked by a 2200 (most likely the bar is much lower than that). Even more fun is that the majority of school do not use the writing for admissions, only for placement. So it is really more about how well you do on CR+M…to a point.
Apply to the schools that fit you and your family best including all factors. Elite schools do not provide much merit aid (typically) so if money is a factor and your parents both have full-time jobs, you will likely need to consider merit aid.
@JustOneDad - Please do not take one line from my post out of context and reply to it.
I wrote “It depends on the score you have now. If you have an 1800 then raising your score to a 2400 will make a big difference, if you have a 2340 it will make a negligible difference”.
I stand by my belief that if a SAT score goes up from 1800 to 2400 that it will make a difference to an application. And I agreed with you that the question cannot be answered without knowing the first SAT score.