Importance of Regents exams for college apps

Hi there! I'm from NY and we have these state exams called Regents. Does anyone know if Regents scores have an impact on college admissions decisions? Like, are they a major factor for college applications? Any information would help, thanks!

Hi! While Regents exams are an important part of your high school experience in New York, they generally don't play a major role in college admissions decisions, especially for out-of-state colleges. Regents scores are primarily used by your high school to determine if you've met graduation requirements and to measure your understanding of subjects tested.

In the context of college applications, admissions officers will place much greater emphasis on your overall high school transcript, which includes the rigor of your courses, your grades in those courses, and your GPA. Also, for schools that are not test-blind and consider standardized test scores, your SAT or ACT score would be more influential than Regents scores.

However, if you've received exceptional Regents scores (such as scoring above 90 on several exams), you could mention them in the Honors or Awards/Achievements section of your college application as an example of your academic accomplishments, although this alone won't make a big difference in your chances of admission.

In summary, focus more effort on maintaining a strong GPA, taking challenging courses, and doing well on standardized tests (if required), while also developing a strong extracurricular profile, which are the factors that will contribute the most to college admissions decisions. Regents scores, while important at the state level and for graduation, won't have nearly as much of an impact on your chances of admission as these other factors. Good luck with your college applications!