What accounts for differences in SAT scores?

mwgdc
Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:54:26 +0000

I am a parent of an ED applicant. This is my first going to college. However, I’ve done my homework, have a former UPenn admissions director as a neighbor, and have spent many hours with coaches from the Ivies and NESCAC discussing admission.

First thing I note is that virtually every kid who wants to be “chanced” has extraordinary tests scores, GPA, EC’s, etc. Notice you don’t see the 1400 kids, etc ever asking. I have to believe as someone here recently posted is that we are only seeing the exceptional kids stats and there certainly is some (maybe not much) statistic inflation going on.

Couple of tidbits I can add here. The coach of the team my D is interested in told her to write a killer essay. Told her that to get a look you need over 1300 or 30 ACT.

Second, I am not a statistician and do not have the time to do it anyway, but whatever numbers you use, remember you can play the statistics to infer anything you want.

Thirdly, my neighbor above gave me some interesting pointers. Here are a few. One, tests scores mean more than most colleges say BUT not as much as students and parents think. Two, demographics of the applicant pool play a significant role year to year. The admissions offices are making adjustments to the class right up to the last minute. Add a male here, take a female there, take out an engineering here add a southwest history male here. You get my drift. Of course there are trends, non-ethnic noreastern kids from suburbia are at a disadvantage, the talented kid from North Dakota is got a leg up.

Bottom line, maybe I’ll be proven wrong, but I cannot believe that if you don’t have a 1500/2300 you don’t have a shot.

PS- I got one to totally make you scratch your heads!!! Just remembered. Two years ago I met a young girl from my area that was a dynamic/mature young woman. I wasn’t in the college search mode but I rembember this. She had 1000 on her SAT’s, was a model UN finalist of some sort. ACCEPTED to Dartmouth. No legacy, no development, non-athlete.