Schools where high scores offer the most competitive edge

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:USCs avg test score is 1485

I think a school can have a low average score, at the same time rewarding high scorers.

Among T30 test optional schools, USC is the only one that is willing to accept a high scorer while forgiving a weak part of an imperfect application, e.g., a lack of EC.

I don't think so.

I just checked my kids Naviance and for USC High GPA/High Rigor was a much better indicator than high score. USC isn't a real hard admit for her school, the acceptance rate is about 35%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown — high scores seem necessary if not sufficient

In test required schools, there is little or no competitive edge for high scorers.

Sure there is; it is the bar that you need to jump to get into the pool. Overall high scored don't offer a real edge anywhere among the truly top schools. They are a filter but not an advantage.

We are saying the same thing. Mine is succinct, to the point. Please don’t reword what I said into a longer description. If you have new things to add, go ahead.

[Anonymous]

It's still hard to tell because of the legacy of Test Optional. People seem to rip on Vanderbilt for being TO, but they do have one of the highest average test scores in the nation for accepted students. And Princeton, Duke, Brown, Chicago, Northwestern were all TO this past cycle.

But as that changes, the schools known for STEM seem to really value high scores - MIT, Rice, Johns Hopkins, Princeton. And high scores are incredibly useful for merit scholarships to state flagships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:USCs avg test score is 1485

I think a school can have a low average score, at the same time rewarding high scorers.

Among T30 test optional schools, USC is the only one that is willing to accept a high scorer while forgiving a weak part of an imperfect application, e.g., a lack of EC.

I don't think so.

I just checked my kids Naviance and for USC High GPA/High Rigor was a much better indicator than high score. USC isn't a real hard admit for her school, the acceptance rate is about 35%.

I pondered on what you wrote but it failed to refute my point. Naviance doesn’t tell you about kids’ EC. How did you arrive at that “I don’t think so” conclusion puzzled me.

[Anonymous]

high scores, SAT/ACT and GPA offers the most competitive edge at public universities (not California) that give merit scholarships ... ie alabama

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's still hard to tell because of the legacy of Test Optional. People seem to rip on Vanderbilt for being TO, but they do have one of the highest average test scores in the nation for accepted students. And Princeton, Duke, Brown, Chicago, Northwestern were all TO this past cycle.

But as that changes, the schools known for STEM seem to really value high scores - MIT, Rice, Johns Hopkins, Princeton. And high scores are incredibly useful for merit scholarships to state flagships.

I also think Vandy might be another one where high scorer have a competitive edge albeit they are still TO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1570/36

35/36 is the 50th and 75th percentile at Ivies.

It’s expected. So it’s not distinguishing at top test required schools.

It would definitely get noticed where e the mean is lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1570/36

35/36 is the 50th and 75th percentile at Ivies.

It’s expected. So it’s not distinguishing at top test required schools.

It would definitely get noticed where e the mean is lower.

Cornell is 33/34/35 (25/50/75).
Penn is 33/34/35 (25/50/75).
Dartmouth is 32/__/35

1580/36 is a good score even at ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll start.

USC
Case Western (merit)
WashU

Disagree on CWRU. DS got the Max merit. TO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll start.

USC
Case Western (merit)
WashU

My TO humanities kid got merit at Case. It’s always major dependent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1570/36

35/36 is the 50th and 75th percentile at Ivies.

It’s expected. So it’s not distinguishing at top test required schools.

It would definitely get noticed where e the mean is lower.

Cornell is 33/34/35 (25/50/75).
Penn is 33/34/35 (25/50/75).
Dartmouth is 32/__/35

1580/36 is a good score even at ivies.

Brown’s is crazy:
34/35/36
1500/1530-40/1560-80
And they are test required

Harvard is similar to Brown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:USCs avg test score is 1485

I think a school can have a low average score, at the same time rewarding high scorers.

Among T30 test optional schools, USC is the only one that is willing to accept a high scorer while forgiving a weak part of an imperfect application, e.g., a lack of EC.

Because its not that selective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:USCs avg test score is 1485

I think a school can have a low average score, at the same time rewarding high scorers.

Among T30 test optional schools, USC is the only one that is willing to accept a high scorer while forgiving a weak part of an imperfect application, e.g., a lack of EC.

Because its not that selective.

I wanted to agree with you but hesitated because they do have an acceptance rate of as low as 8%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown — high scores seem necessary if not sufficient

Not at all. My near-perfect scorer was rejected from there in 2023. He had a 35 out of 36 on his ACT and a weighted GPA of 4.67. He was rejected because they are very big on community service (and they tell you on their website and in their presentations!), and during the pandemic, we preferred not to do too much of that. My friend's kid who had the same type of score and grades was accepted because she had done a lot more community service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown — high scores seem necessary if not sufficient

Not at all. My near-perfect scorer was rejected from there in 2023. He had a 35 out of 36 on his ACT and a weighted GPA of 4.67. He was rejected because they are very big on community service (and they tell you on their website and in their presentations!), and during the pandemic, we preferred not to do too much of that. My friend's kid who had the same type of score and grades was accepted because she had done a lot more community service.

During Covid, I don’t think they put as much emphasis on the community service. Knowing options due to Covid were limited. my high school class of 22 kid was accepted to Georgetown with Hardly any community service and one very low test score.


I hardly think your friends kid was accepted due to more community service than your kid.