Do S.A.T. scores matter when it comes to acceptance to college?

Question

MY PARENTS WANT ME GET A FULL RIDE TO COLLEGE SINCE I HAVE A 3.9 BUT I HAVE 1450 S.A.T SCORE (AND THAT IS WITH MY ESSAY PART WIHTOUT IT I HAVE LIKE A 930.)

Answer 1

Unfortunately SAT scores matter quite a bit. Many colleges require a certain score, and all colleges use standardized test scores as one of their main tools for evaluating applicants.

If you are having difficulty with the tests consider getting a CD-ROM and paper guide. Practice taking the test and learn tips for increasing your score. If you still are struggling, consider hiring a tutor. Most students that get a tutor raise their scores by at least 20 points.

Keep studying and good luck!

Answer 2

i already posted this in response to another question, but a little copying and pasting couldn't hurt ;-)

"colleges no longer think sats are a big deal, so try not to stress out too much! obviously [try to get the best score you can, but don't freak out if you can't get a 2100]. since almost everybody has been buying study guides, taking sat classes, and therefore receiving inflated scores, sats are no longer trustworthy gauges of our mental capacity. (not that they ever were... it's just that they're even less reliable now. =P) i should know. if colleges thought one's sat score was the primary admission factor in one's entire college application, i probably would have gotten into a lot more schools than i did. hehe

your gpa, essay, and extra-curriculars hold much more weight than your sat scores. the gpa is a much better indicator of a student's work ethic than an sat score, the essay is a student's only chance to really let his or her personality shine through, and the extra-curriculars show that the student has many interests outside of schoolwork and doesn't just stay at home studying all day. hope this helps! good luck with your college admissions process."

you can also apply to a school like mt. holyoke, which doesn't require sats for admission.

Answer 3

As much as I hate to say this, yes they matter a lot in some situations. Many Universities now employ a formula system in accepting/ranking new students. The most recent one I remember reading was (ACT x 2) + High School Percentage Rank= Admission Score (There was a conversion from SAT scores to ACT scores). The higher your admission score the better chance to get in to that school.

The reason SAT (or ACT for that matter) scores are used is because its virtually the same test for everybody. The school recognize the difference between being in the top 10 percent in a poor school system vs. being in the top 25 percent in a school where 90% of the graduating class goes to college, but how do you objectively define that. The SAT or ACT scores are the Universities answer to that. I'm not saying its right, but that's the rationale.

Answer 4

Yes, they matter alot. It's not fair, but they do. Colleges believe that they offer a way to compare students who didn't go to the same school (say, one school with weak academics where everyone gets a 3.5, and one school that's really hard but students average only a 3.3). Other things matter, too (grades, personal essays, SAT II scores, etc.), but SAT is one of the top things for many schools. If you really care, find a way to get your parents to shell out the money for a prep course (Kaplan, Princeton Review, etc.)--they really work if you study hard.

Answer 5

sure they do matter, but not as much as people think. i had average sat scores but i still made it into almost every single UC. (damn UCLA....) my grades werent exactly top notch either, just a 3.8. but what i lacked in the score and grades department i made up for in the application essays. so pretty much SAT scores are important but its not the end of the world if you didnt do too great on them. you have many other areas to redeem yourself in.

Answer 6

are you kidding? if they didn't matter, how else could the rich possibly keep the poor from getting an education? without the SAT, the repression of the gifted poor would require something far more draconian, like gulags, or the repeal of child labor laws.

Answer 7

Sadly (*sighs*)---------------- YES!
It makes me angry that one idiotic test makes all the difference. If you get +700s on the verbal and math sections... you can get into good, Ivy League schools...

Also bring into perspective: GPA, volunteer work, essays, etc.
Good luck! (wish me some too)

Answer 8

100% yes

Answer 9

yes

Answer 10

yeah if you want to go to a good college or any