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Harvard

Scoring well on the SAT I and SAT II tests are essential but 99th percentile scores are the norm in the applicant pool. I think scoring well is more of a prerequisite for applying than a measure of the competitiveness of the candidate.

What does seem to set applicants apart is the quality of ECs. Elite US admissions wants to see very impressive tables of activities. There are plenty of examples in this database:

http://www.prstats.com/2008/viewschool2.php?school=harvard&status=Accepted

The most favored EC in elite admissions is athletics. Prefrence is given to recruited athletes. Most notably, approx. 1/4 of Princeton's class is recruited.

Virtually all US institutions practice racial and socio-economic affirmative action. Preference is given to underrepresented minorities and poor households.

AP qualifications - APs are considered first year college material. It is not uncommon for students to take at least one AP - I recall 1 million takers last year. Successful elite candidates of course take more - often 4-6 per year even. Often poorer schools don't offer so many APs but the quality of the transcript is judged by what the school offers. Often those who find themselves with few AP opportunities take community college classes to demonstrate ability.

The essay is much different from the UCAS. The essay prompts avoid asking about academic interest. Instead admissions seeks to understand your personality. This means writing short narratives about significant experiences in your life.

Recommendations - I wouldn't concern myself too much. Everyone finds a teacher to use abundant superlatives. How can admissions evaluate recommendations if they are indistinguishable?

****edit****: The database contains a few "parody" entries - but that isn't hard to figure out.

Reply 81

Wagamuffin

I think the way sports recruitment and legacy (when your family has gone to the university before) related admissions works is that in the decision committee there are lobby groups that fight hard to get you in and usually they have a lot of infulence, I don't think it's really a "computerised" affair. Ugh you are all making me feel bad about 1480 :smile:

I was originally very happy about that score; maybe i should retake!

Also, I think on many occasions I think you can get regected by HYP and accepted by Oxbridge and vice versa because they look for different things.

I like that you must write personal essays - it means any arroguant ponces aren't allowed :smile:

- very tough to get it to sound right though !

Reply 82

BazTheMoney

Honestly, if you have a 1480 I'd resit; you really need to get 1500+ at least to stand a chance, 1480 would be the absolute minimum if your application was 100% perfect in other areas, which probable isn't going to happen.

As for sports, most big universities try to get the junior internationals for their main sport; for instance the Junior World Rowing Championships were just a couple of week ago, and most of the GB team will be going on to study at Oxbridge in October. It's not fair but it happenes, and as a 16 year old thinking about university for the first time, you known that if you excel in a sport you have a big advantage over normal candidates.

Reply 83

mussed

Louise_1988

Well, one was the third best SAT private school in US... I suppose that for harvard/yale students they would be the ones taking 4 or 5, but the majority of pupils did not go to harvard so that would have brough the average of APs taken down.
But I accept that for US unis APs are liked, and valued.
Another thing with APs is that ity varies greatly between schools what subjects/how many they offer.

Just so that you don't think i'm talking out of my arse!! :tongue:

Only students with consistently superior academic performance in a specific subject should consider taking a test before the Senior year, or taking multiple exams during the same testing period.
www.exeter.edu
:biggrin:

I know a girl who went to a big Ivies feeder school in Virginia, had done something like eight to ten APs and was going to Yale. She had been doing APs for two years, though, and getting mainly fives.

I would have wanted to go to Princeton. It's incredible.

Reply 84

lotsofissues

The avg SAT score at elites is approx 1450-1490

You have a good score - 1470-1480 clears the 99th percentile. Please don't think admissions is going to study what decimal you hold within the 99th percentile against other candidates. There are just too many far greater details that you should be concerned about.

Reply 85

EconLou

12

I'd just like to make a point about the SAT I tests, that the difference between an 800 and a 770 really is minimal, on a recent practice (may 1999, i think??) test I took the difference between me getting an 800 and 770 was down to the fact that a question I got wrong I had given an answer to, If I had left it blank I wouldn't have lost the extra 1/3 of a point which took me down in the 770 range.
On most tests getting 800 means only making one or two mistakes whilst a 750 may only make 3 or 4 mistake, so what i'm getting at is don't get hung up if you haven't got 800 because a 750 means that is is very possible you could get the 800 with a re-take.

Reply 86

ASNaC

BazTheMoney

Honestly, if you have a 1480 I'd resit; you really need to get 1500+ at least to stand a chance, 1480 would be the absolute minimum if your application was 100% perfect in other areas, which probable isn't going to happen.

That's being overly harsh I think - a friend of mine with a fair selection of extra-ciriculars (nothing stunning), and a combined score of less that 1400 got into Yale. They seem far more concerned with you showing flair in my experience, than you simply looking brilliant on paper. Obviously a 1500 + looks good, but they will happily reject you if they feel you are too one-dimensional.

Reply 87

ASNaC

Louise_1988

I'd just like to make a point about the SAT I tests, that the difference between an 800 and a 770 really is minimal, on a recent practice (may 1999, i think??) test I took the difference between me getting an 800 and 770 was down to the fact that a question I got wrong I had given an answer to, If I had left it blank I wouldn't have lost the extra 1/3 of a point which took me down in the 770 range.
On most tests getting 800 means only making one or two mistakes whilst a 750 may only make 3 or 4 mistake, so what i'm getting at is don't get hung up if you haven't got 800 because a 750 means that is is very possible you could get the 800 with a re-take.

Most universities take the scored with a pinch of salt, and often consider any score within a 60 point range the equivalent - i.e. they would read 730 as 700-760 - thus acknowledging that not all tests are equally easy, and that one slip up can make the entire difference.

Harvard

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