<p>Maybe for calculating AI one can say otherwise. However, this is only a crude estimate of ones acedemic abilities, and it has been shown that the scores are not even significant to 100 points (meaning that your score is only within about 100 points of your ability and that a 10 or 20 point difference has to do with nothing but luck.</p>
<p>So, if you want to go to Harvard, and are worried that something on your SAT report is less than perfect, dont be. The Adcoms dont spend enough time reading every score to think enough into it. EC’s count exponetially more than scores do.</p>
<p>Just because they don’t predict your ability doesn’t mean they don’t play a huge role in admissions. </p>
<p>It would be great if they didn’t, but the reality is that they’re a very large component of the admissions process. In fact, because admissions officers don’t have all the time in the world to evaluate all the parts of the application thoroughly, test scores play an even bigger role because they provide a fast, easy way to evaluate an applicant.</p>
<p>I find that people who say that they don’t matter at all are almost always people who didn’t score well. Not always of course, but I don’t think you can argue that anyone can score a 1600, or that there’s no difference between a 1200 and a 1400. Of course they can’t be completely accurate, but there’s no better way for giving some indication of where an applicant stands in relation to all the rest of the applicants. They need a standardized measure, which the SAT provides.</p>
<p>that’s not necessarily trye, chalk… There are people who score low that have high GPAs and vice versa… While I agree the SAT can keep you out, I concur with that only to a point. It can be a determining factor…</p>
<p>People can have low GPAs and high SAT scores because they are innately smart but are very lazy in high school. Then again, people can have very high GPA but rather low SAT because they work very hard in school to get the grades but just aren’t as smart or they are bad test-takers.</p>
<p>To suggest that extra-curriculars matter “exponentially” more than the SATs is pure fantasy. Sure extra-curriculars are important, but colleges make it no secret that the two most important factors in admissions are gpa and standardized tests.</p>
<p>My point wasnt that they dont play any role. It was that people shouldnt quibble over minute point differences and understand that only the score range matters. Also, a 1600 that studies all day wont beat a 1400 that does something really well.</p>
<p>Variety is always good, though. Frankly, I love learning with the best and brightest but some of the brightest people I know do not happen to have the highest scores on standardized tests. So, if I were to go to a college where EVERYONE had perfect or close-to-perfect scores, I’d feel like I would not be learning around those people. After all, no one can argue against the fact that the SATs do not measure your knowledge. Knowledge comes through personal experiences, school work, and other such things. For that reason, I believe SATs to be on a lower scale in the admission process. A person who has done well in school and experienced a ton to expand “knowledge” may have an advantage, even without good scores. Just my 2 cents’; I’m not saying that SATs aren’t important, just not as important as grades and experiences.</p>
<p>depends on the experience…if I was an admissions person and I was faced with a decision between a kid who conquered cancer or advised John Kerry in his campaign with a 1300 and someone who got a 1600 and good grades but not much else then yes I’d take the former. But if you’re just the president of the debate club or went on a two week trip to Africa…no that does not account for significant differences in SAT scores.</p>
<p>The CB and the SAT don’t have credibility. Everyone knows that the CB is around to make money and the SAT doesn’t predict or reflect ability. Nonetheless, colleges do care about SAT scores.</p>
<p>Straight from an adcom at a prestigious LAC:
“Half of your admissions score is your transcript. 25% is your SAT, 25% is your essay, recs, ECs, work experience.”</p>