How important is SAT in college admission?Answered
Hello, I'm a junior in high school, and I took the SAT (paper version) two times recently. I got 800 math for both times, but my English score went from 620 -> 590. I'll be taking the digital version one more time, but I'm not sure if I will be able to increase my English score to at least 700. In case I fail to do so, I was wondering how important the SAT scores are recently. I heard the significance has been decreasing compared to the past (like how UCs removed the SAT portion), but I'm still not sure if it's the same for elite schools like Ivy League. Would my 1420 be very disadvantageous when I apply to Ivy League schools? If so, what could compensate for that?
Thank you.
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4 answers
in most cases, standardized tests like the SAT are only used to compare academic rigor. let's say student A comes from a school that does not offer APs, so A only has GPA, but colleges might not know how smart student A is even if he or she gets a 3.9 GPA. so they compare her or his SAT score.
if you have APs, SAT is not a big deal, and yes, the significance has been decreasing. A high SAT score will not give you a boost if your GPA is low(GPAs are much more important than SAT scores, from recent observations).
ill advise you to not submit 1420 if it is a test-optional school. It'll definitely hurt your application (for top schools).
Hey there! Your SAT scores are solid, but Ivy League admissions have become more holistic. While a 1420 is good, focus on shining in other areas—maintain a strong GPA, get involved in activities you're passionate about, and share your unique story in your essays. Letters of recommendation and showcasing leadership can also make a difference. Admissions is about the whole you, so let your personality and accomplishments shine through in your application!
SAT scores are definitely becoming less and less important in college admissions. Many colleagues no longer even require them, but you are able to usually submit them anyways and they would be taking into account if particularly high (or low). Colleges tend focus much more on GPA and extracurriculars, but each college is different in how they weight different pros and cons of each potential student. In all I wouldn't worry about them to much, instead focus your energy on your GPA and extracurriculars.
I would definitely recommend retaking the SAT and trying out the ACT (maybe the format will be better for you). If you can’t improve it, then I would say that you should go test optional. A 1420 is on the lower scale for prestigious schools like Ivy League schools, so it would not help (and probably will actually hurt) your application. All these schools say now that applying test optional will not hurt your chances, so I think that would be better for you than submitting a lower score.
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Ah, I see. Thank you so much! Would it be better for me to have more APs? I took 2 APs last year, and I'm taking 2 IBs and 2 APs this year at school. Should I take online courses?