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What are my scores like?!

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1800/2400 is far too low in my opinion for one of the top universities. There are a lot of "good" universities in the US, it depends what you mean.

I got into Stanford with the equivalent of 2180, plus 3 SAT IIs with scores of 700 or above. Unless you are brilliantly talented in something I'm not sure you will cut it to be honest...sorry.

Reply 21

life sux

shady lane

well thanks for a very straightforward answer!

but i have heard that Stanford has a very holistic view. so they don't really count SAT Reasoning Tests as one of your talents and aptitudes..

Reply 22

life sux

silkweed

No... he said that an above average SAT score (2000+, probably 2100+) but not close-to-perfect SAT score would more likely be considered seriously for admittance with outstanding performance in other areas of your application at Stanford. And Shadylane went there, she knows what she's talking about.

Reply 23

rraze

shadylane did you reject stanford then and opt for one of your other choices?

Reply 24

Oldmannow

my classmates who are applying to stanford , harvard etc all got scores around 1850-1950...

and these are exceptionally bright students...i told them that i read that a good score is considered 21k but they said that in America they basically train you to do SATs..which isnt done in UK and hence why they have a chance (an American student @ my school said they had an extremly high chance of getting in despite their scores)..

p.s. obviously straight A*/As...sports..debating etc etc

Reply 25

shady lane

I did my undergrad at Stanford, now at LSE doing a masters.

Reply 26

rocksandfossils

the essay is pretty important too for US universities.

Reply 27

Oldmannow

amor fati

The SATs are not everything, but you should know that an 1850-1950 is extremely low even for an international, especially considering there's no language barrier.

While some kids' schools prep them for the SAT, most students spend time (if they care enough) studying by themselves. The SAT is an exam to be studied for just like everything else, to quote the study book's introduction. :wink:

i dont know anything :P: ..im not applying...just thats what i got from conversations with them..oh well..will be intresting to see if they get in.

Reply 28

korektphool

rocksandfossils

the essay is pretty important too for US universities.

Well actually no university, not even the UCs, read those essays. They only matter insofar as they add to the overall SAT score.

Reply 29

rraze

think he meant the equivalent of the personal statement

Reply 30

Drogue

abrp

Sadly they may get a bit of a wake-up call - 1900 is very low, even for an international student. SATs don't take much preparation for bright people, as they should be looking at Stanford and Harvard. I didn't do it that well and got 1550 on the old versions. Admittedly it's the sort of test I like, but Harvard's average is in the high 1500s (so I'd guess at least 2300 now). Same for the GRE really.

Reply 31

Oldmannow

when do they find out about offers?

ill tell you if they get in.

p.s last year our school captain got in to study economics @ stanford..18k Sats.

but also basketball player..v.good gcses + a levels etc.

Reply 32

forpolarbears

abrp

Depends, they do early action/or regular? EA is December 15th, Regular is March or April.

My school's (super hot) somewhat star football/volleyball player with good grades goes to Harvard now.

Reply 33

shady lane

abrp

You don't get in to do a specific subject...he may very well end up with a degree in an easier subject (like communications, hehe).

Reply 34

aahh.CHU

yup you have a lot of flexibility in US uni's. most american students switch majors/subjects at least once if not twice. and theres a lot of interdisciplinary studies going on, like just because you're a pre-law student, that doesn't bar you from taking say a class about anthropology and evolution.

And essays are very very important in the US. There not so much subject based as the personal statements for UCAS. I'd HIGHLY recommend the book A is for Admission by Michelle Hernandez ( I think that's her first name). She was the assistant dean of admissions at Dartmouth and it really gives you a nice insider view of the admissions proccess.

Secondly, standardized test scores (ACT, SAT, SAT II's) don't matter so much as your high school record and class rank. If you're 100 points away from the middle 50% of the school's students, its definitely not a big deal. I'd worry far more about having an unweighted GPA lower than 3.6 and not being within the top 3% of your class. If you talk to anyone in admissions in the US, they'll tell you that your high school transcript is the MOST important part of your application. So don't stress about scores, its not as high stakes in the States as it is in the UK.

Thirdly, extracurriculars (volunteering, leadership, accomplishments) these are things that add a lot of luster to your application. Yale told me that they start sorting their submitted applications by first looking for well-rounded students (i.e. the 4.0 gpa-state qualifying athlete-musician). Because the Ivy Leagues are so competitive, they actively engage in class sculpting, meaning that they only want a certain number of students that fit the above profile. After that number is reached, they start looking for well-lopsided applicants (i.e. 3.8+ gpa-international competitor in traditional Irish dance). A girl from my school had worse test scores that I did but had a better GPA and the international Irish dance thing-she was accepted to Yale. These are just some observations i've made talking with people that have gone through the Ivy League process as well as friends of the family that used to be in college admissions.

Reply 35

Oldmannow

we dont have class ranking + GPA in UK.

how do US unis go about that?

Reply 36

Bismarck

abrp

we dont have class ranking + GPA in UK.

how do US unis go about that?

You substitute A-levels for those.

Reply 37

rocksandfossils

korektphool

Well actually no university, not even the UCs, read those essays. They only matter insofar as they add to the overall SAT score.

hmm. so go ahead and screw up your essay if you feel that way.

Reply 38

Bismarck

rocksandfossils

hmm. so go ahead and screw up your essay if you feel that way.

Ditto. Everything I read on this topic suggests that the essays are as important as grades.

Reply 39

aahh.CHU

also for the US essays, from what i've found and what i understand, they are different from the british PS in that they focus much more on creativity and personal sides of the applicant rather than passion for the subject. of course its always good to say you love what you want to study, but many many many essays of accepted applicants to the Ivy Leagues focused on their personal lives such as adapting to a change or learning from a mistake rather than the usual "I love math and I used to play with Legos so I want to be an engineer."

and to Bismark, from my experiences and conversations with US admissions officers (and they could be just telling me BS), they rank the high school record #1 in importance (GPA, level of rigor in class selection, school rank, etc), then test scores (ACT/SAT/SATII). i cant clearly remember what comes next...but it is 1:20 in chicago. i know that a bad essay can easily cost you admission even if you have everything else; especially with the Ivy League calibur schools.