schools that like highest scores even with mid (but high rigor) grades?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:kid has good essay potential and unique and personal ECs but not national honors or anything. ACT 35
insight?

Sorry. Wrote that quickly and should have added: public school. 3.6/4.3 ish at end of junior year I think. Likely to raise it more with first semester of senior.
Male. Now AP number is 5 and will take 5 or 6 senior year. Took some of the hardest APs offered. So total of ten or eleven by senior year. Varsity athlete. Not necessarily expected to play on college. Other unique ECs. Essays will likely be strong. At least one teacher rec will be personal and strong we think/hope. Is interested in SLAC with strong history and science programs. Finding it hard to find those that are a fit without being average gpa if 3.9. Loves the outdoors.would be open to mid size or larger University not in a big city as well. No nyu type. Not likely to rush.

That unweighted gpa is right around average for most schools we know, and the weighted 4.3 is average at schools that give a full extra point for APs (or more). “Some” of the hardest APs is not enough, when grades are around average. The 35 doesnot help; all it does is highlight that the student has the smarts to do bettet but did not, or, maybe the student took the test 6 times . The ACT is highly practicible. 35 is not the same as a 1530+. Even a 1530 in this students scenario would just highlight that the student is not putting in effort which top 30 schools want. Look below the top30 maybe below T50

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP:
I find this so interesting given Harvard has now come out saying that scores are more indicative than gpa as to how students do as undergraduates. It is on their admission page as an explanation why they now require scores again. Wondering why the non-top ten SLACs would not want a kid with a very high score like 35 to raise the average? As the average scores impact school rankings, for better or worse, so what the focus on gpa when it isn’t published and not a clear indicator of ability given the various schools, classes, teachers that impact the grades for one individual vs another? Do the schools not compile an AI (Academic Index) anymore? If so then a 35/36 would help a “lower” gpa, no?

Because there is an abundant supply of kids with top test scores and top gpas.

This is funny to me when the 35 score puts a person at 99.4 percentile. So no there are not abundant amounts of students with that score applying to non-top 40 schools. The question is which schools that have a lower than 35 average based on their reported data, which is most of the schools out there, will use the AI and care more about fit of student. So perhaps a smaller school where fit is well presented to AO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:kid has good essay potential and unique and personal ECs but not national honors or anything. ACT 35
insight?

Sorry. Wrote that quickly and should have added: public school. 3.6/4.3 ish at end of junior year I think. Likely to raise it more with first semester of senior.
Male. Now AP number is 5 and will take 5 or 6 senior year. Took some of the hardest APs offered. So total of ten or eleven by senior year. Varsity athlete. Not necessarily expected to play on college. Other unique ECs. Essays will likely be strong. At least one teacher rec will be personal and strong we think/hope. Is interested in SLAC with strong history and science programs. Finding it hard to find those that are a fit without being average gpa if 3.9. Loves the outdoors.would be open to mid size or larger University not in a big city as well. No nyu type. Not likely to rush.

That unweighted gpa is right around average for most schools we know, and the weighted 4.3 is average at schools that give a full extra point for APs (or more). “Some” of the hardest APs is not enough, when grades are around average. The 35 doesnot help; all it does is highlight that the student has the smarts to do bettet but did not, or, maybe the student took the test 6 times . The ACT is highly practicible. 35 is not the same as a 1530+. Even a 1530 in this students scenario would just highlight that the student is not putting in effort which top 30 schools want. Look below the top30 maybe below T50

That SAT and ACT are not so practicable that someone can get a 35. You can improve a score but only to a point. That’s why most smart kids stall at 33 who take it multiple times.

[Anonymous]

If a boy, I’d look at slacs. They need boys and a high test score does more for them with fewer students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP:
I find this so interesting given Harvard has now come out saying that scores are more indicative than gpa as to how students do as undergraduates. It is on their admission page as an explanation why they now require scores again. Wondering why the non-top ten SLACs would not want a kid with a very high score like 35 to raise the average? As the average scores impact school rankings, for better or worse, so what the focus on gpa when it isn’t published and not a clear indicator of ability given the various schools, classes, teachers that impact the grades for one individual vs another? Do the schools not compile an AI (Academic Index) anymore? If so then a 35/36 would help a “lower” gpa, no?

Because there is an abundant supply of kids with top test scores and top gpas. o

This is funny to me when the 35 score puts a person at 99.4 percentile. So no there are not abundant amounts of students with that score applying to non-top 40 schools. The question is which schools that have a lower than 35 average based on their reported data, which is most of the schools out there, will use the AI and care more about fit of student. So perhaps a smaller school where fit is well presented to AO.

You need to read up about super scores, which multiples the number of top scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ED - Tulane, Tufts, Wesleyan, Wake Forest

These, plus NorthEastern, Colgate, BU, Bucknell

+1