What SAT Scores would I have to get to have a chance to get into Harvard?

Question

I am 14 years right now and I am studying hard for the SAT's in 11th grade. I plan to study law, but I want to know what is a good SAT score to get into Harvard with. Please include a website or two with your explination. Thank you!

I will be taking the SAT out of 2400 points, not 1600 and I don't know what a 3.6 is.....

Answer 1

I think that it is great that you are planning ahead and working so hard. It really is key to prepare early for the SAT, but be aware that you may forget a lot of what you learn. Concentrate on learning vocabulary, and then integrating it as a permanent part of your daily speech. If you prepare for the PSAT, be sure to sign up for a refresher course right before the SAT, and do lots of drills!

Harvard's 25th percentile in 2005 was 1400 and its 75th percentile was1580. Translating into the new scoring system, that means that if you get about 700 per sectiion, you have a good chance of getting in if your application is otherwise strong. A full quarter of the admitted students got that score or below (but it is unlikely many got below that)

Keep in mind these numbers may represent minority or legacy admits, so you will have to be an outstanding candidate to get in with a 2100. You will need top grades, unless you go to a magnet or private school you will probably have to be valedictorian.

You will also have to stand out otherwise. If you have faced a hardship in your life, start thinking about how that might develop into an essay. If you have an interest in something charitable, don't just volunteer - start your own non-profit initiative. All you need is a good idea - teachers will be willing to help. If you're musical, start a regional program to perform in hospitals and nursing homes. If you're a good writer, start a school literary magazine and donate the profits to Katrine relief. You get the idea.

Start reading books of successful application essays and seeing what those students did with their lives to make them stand out. A broad array of extracarriculars is good, but it is even better to have strong leadership roles in a small number of focused activities.

Keep in mind that a full quarter got the equivalent of 2370 or better - tough competition. If you can score 2350, you're in better shape. The 75th percentile of Harvard's admits got 790 per secton. That is close to a perfect score. Students with these scores have an even better shot of getting in without needing to shine quite as much as those in the 25th percentile. However, even at this level there is heavy competition, so the factors above will still be worth your while to pursue.

One last thought. How sure are you that you want to study law? If you go to law school, it is your law school, not your undergraduate school that matters in terms of your career. I went to an ordinary undergraduate on full scholarship, and I am graduating soon with the same Harvard Law degree as those students who went to Yale undergrad. Minus hefty student loans. It is not necessary to go to a competitive college to get into a top law school; it is a disputed point whether it even gives you an edge. Indeed there are 'feeder schools' which place a high number of students in good grad programs, but the high number of law admits from Harvard could be caused by its higher caliber of students, not because it gives you an admissions edge.

If you're sure you want to go to law school, think long and hard about why you want to go to a competitive undergrad. The quality of education is good, the quality of discouse with your peers will be tops, but it is a very expensive endeavor which has a small effect on your career.

That being said, if you change your mind about law school there could be some other graduate programs that care more about where you went to undergrad.

Answer 2

What you have to remember about the Ivies and Duke and Stanford and the rest of the top schools, is that they get 1000s of applications that look just as good as yours. What really could make the difference is what is special about you. What have you done that really makes you stand out from the crowd? If you have a really outstanding "something", then they will overlook that low SAT to get you. I know two kids who were Freshmen at Harvard last year. Each of them won a National Science competition. Each of them was a soloist for the regional orchestra. One of them spoke four languages, the other three languages. The were both class officers, debate team stars, and had a host of other distinctions. That's the way it is at Harvard. If you don't have something like that, then you dont belong there and wouldn't be happy.

Answer 3

Plan on having an SAT score at or above 1300. But remember that schools look at a lot more than SAT scores. Participate in a lot of extracurricular activities, play sports, keep your GPA up in the 3.6 or higher level. Take challenging classes such as AP or IB if offered in your school. Colleges know that the SAT is not the best way to judge someone's knowledge so in order to show them you are a great candidate, you need to distinguish yourself.

If you want to go to law school, better enjoy reading and be able to regurgitate what you read in a short amount of time.

Also, remember that you have a better chance of making it in if you are an out of state student as well as if you are a minority. Sad truth but colleges have to meet minority quotas.

Answer 4

If you want to go to Harvard, you need to aim for a 2300 or better. Even if you score a perfect 2400 on the SAT, Harvard is still looking for more qualifications, including amazing grades, the most challenging high school classes, stellar essays/recommendations, and a few extracurriculars that you dedicated yourself to. Visit harvard.edu for more info.

Answer 5

75% of those accepted at Harvard have 2100/2400 on their SATs or better.

95% graduated in the top 10% of their high school classes.

Princeton Review (see link below) is a great site for getting this kind of information. It also has a tool where you put in information about yourself and your interests. It then suggests several schools that would be good choices for you.