Keep in mind several things here:
1. While most accredited colleges require SAT or ACT scores for
admission to an undergraduate program, some colleges do not. All
competitive schools, however, require these scores.
2. While scores on standardized tests such as the SAT are an important
part of the admissions decision, high school GPA, extracurricular
activities, recommendations, and standout personal essays are all very
important. Writing a hackneyed, standard personal essay may simply not
'cut it' for a highly competitive college. If you think about it,
there are thousands of students who do well grade-wise and have been
involved in many activities (band, chess team, community volunteering,
etc.), and there really is no objective way to determine which student
is exceptional out of such a large group. The personal essay gives a
unique glimpse into the applicant's ability to not only write well,
but also to think and to reason. Many applicants think that the
personal essay is simply a kind of mini-auto-biography. While that may
be true in some cases, the reality is that the personal essay is a
sort of simple thesis and admissions officers pay close attention to
its style, content, and structure. Creativity, of course, always
helps makes you stand out, but make sure that what you write makes
sense. (Don't try to push the envelope to much or attempt to shock
admissions officers, a 'no no' that is just as bad as boring them to
death).
Having said all of this, SATs do matter, and, naturally, high SAT
scores- all else being equal- do increase your chances for admission
to a competitive undergraduate program. To answer your question about
what SAT scores are likely to obtain acceptance to an undergraduate
program, you are likely to fare better than 50-50 if you score above
average on the SAT (i.e. above the 50th percentile). According to the
College Board, which administers the SAT, the median SAT score for
applicants for the 2004 year was 1030 (see:
http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/about/news_info/cbsenior/yr2003/pdf/2003CBSVM.pdf).
The most competitive schools, like Harvard or Yale, have average SAT
scores around 1500 (approximately 99th percentile- meaning only 1% of
all test takers scored higher, while 99% scored lower). So you are
basically looking for an SAT score of 1000 and above. A very
competitive score might be 1200 and above, reflecting the 90th
percentile. Anything above that is increasingly competitive and
therefore increases your chances for admission. The target score
really depends on what schools you are looking to apply to (US News
and World Report has a yearly 'America's Best Colleges' issue that
includes SAT scores). Even if you score 1100, you may still be
competitive at the top schools with a great application. |
