Should we submit lower than expected SAT scores

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Look at the Common Data Set for the college to see where 1400 falls in the distribution.

NP. What would be the general guidance about this? Only submit if your score is well above the "middle 50%" range? Or submit if it's anywhere within the high end of that range?

For example, if the CDS says a school's middle 50% are in the 1200-1400 range, what would you do if you had a score of 1250? Of 1350? Of 1450?

In that example, the 25th percentile would be 1200. I'd submit all three.

UMC white or Asian kid without a hook from the DMV needs to aim for the 75% on the SAT. Deep talent pool competing for even tier two schools.

Thankfully a UMC or asian white kid from the dmv has plenty of life advantages.

white kids, yes. Asian kids, not so much.

+1. Not Asian kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, DD took SAT in March to try it out. Got 1400. Low for our schools. Expected this. Took SAT prep class one on one. Scoring really well now but can't seem to take the test. Dates keep canceling. Top choices are Notre Dame, Rice, Cornell. Should we submit if we could do better assuming others are in same boat?

Yes, submit the score, without a doubt. It is in your best interest to submit the score.

- former selective college admissions rep

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, DD took SAT in March to try it out. Got 1400. Low for our schools. Expected this. Took SAT prep class one on one. Scoring really well now but can't seem to take the test. Dates keep canceling. Top choices are Notre Dame, Rice, Cornell. Should we submit if we could do better assuming others are in same boat?

Yes, submit the score, without a doubt. It is in your best interest to submit the score.

- former selective college admissions rep

A rationale would be more useful. Normally submitting a low-for-that-school score isn’t advised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, DD took SAT in March to try it out. Got 1400. Low for our schools. Expected this. Took SAT prep class one on one. Scoring really well now but can't seem to take the test. Dates keep canceling. Top choices are Notre Dame, Rice, Cornell. Should we submit if we could do better assuming others are in same boat?

Yes, submit the score, without a doubt. It is in your best interest to submit the score.

- former selective college admissions rep

A rationale would be more useful. Normally submitting a low-for-that-school score isn’t advised.

Yes, former selective college admissions rep, please provide a rationale. In a similar boat as OP and guidance (admittedly, mostly from other parents, but we are all also talking to different professionals) seems mixed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op. All As. Captain of sport. Girl scouts. But lacking anything amazing.

OK it really cracks me up that this doesn’t seem amazing to you. What has happened to our society? This is so far above just “normal”

[Anonymous]

I actually think these high but 'lower than expected' scores would be fine to submit. There will be so many kids with no scores that I think, even though admissions officers have the best intentions, it's a big gamble to admit students with no test scores. If your student has the same grades as someone else in her class, but DC took and got a 1400 and the other didn't, 1400 is looking good and reliable, especially if its within the 50% percentile.

I think the school year has just too many variables. Colleges will be nervous about admitting kids who aren't being challenged or actually doing the work bc of DL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op. All As. Captain of sport. Girl scouts. But lacking anything amazing.

OK it really cracks me up that this doesn’t seem amazing to you. What has happened to our society? This is so far above just “normal”

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually think these high but 'lower than expected' scores would be fine to submit. There will be so many kids with no scores that I think, even though admissions officers have the best intentions, it's a big gamble to admit students with no test scores. If your student has the same grades as someone else in her class, but DC took and got a 1400 and the other didn't, 1400 is looking good and reliable, especially if its within the 50% percentile.

I think the school year has just too many variables. Colleges will be nervous about admitting kids who aren't being challenged or actually doing the work bc of DL.

I agree with this. I keep seeing not to submit under the 50th percentile, but I think there's value in something more around 25th percentile for the reasons you suggest.

[Anonymous]

I'm curious as to why you think those scores are low for your schools. My DC has a similar score and Naviance tells me that, of the three (Cornell, Rice and Notre Dame), only Rice is a Reach. Cornell and Notre Dame are both Matches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious as to why you think those scores are low for your schools. My DC has a similar score and Naviance tells me that, of the three (Cornell, Rice and Notre Dame), only Rice is a Reach. Cornell and Notre Dame are both Matches.

NP here. I think the score is low for those schools because there are lots and lots of white middle class kids with those stats applying. If your child has something different to offer - a hook of some kind - then s/he will stand out from the white middle class crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, DD took SAT in March to try it out. Got 1400. Low for our schools. Expected this. Took SAT prep class one on one. Scoring really well now but can't seem to take the test. Dates keep canceling. Top choices are Notre Dame, Rice, Cornell. Should we submit if we could do better assuming others are in same boat?

Op. All As. Captain of sport. Girl scouts. But lacking anything amazing.

With all As and score below the 25th percentile, I would not submit the score.

Middle 50 percentile ranges, per section C9 of the 2019-2020 Common Data Set (enrolled class of 2023):

Notre Dame - not reported in CDS; class profile reports 1410-1540 for enrolled class of 2023
Rice 1470-1560
Cornell 1420-1540

This proves cornel is still a good school is at the bottom of the second tier cluster.

What are you saying? Your post only proves that you could not gain acceptance to Cornell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at the Common Data Set for the college to see where 1400 falls in the distribution.

NP. What would be the general guidance about this? Only submit if your score is well above the "middle 50%" range? Or submit if it's anywhere within the high end of that range?

For example, if the CDS says a school's middle 50% are in the 1200-1400 range, what would you do if you had a score of 1250? Of 1350? Of 1450?

In that example, the 25th percentile would be 1200. I'd submit all three.

UMC white or Asian kid without a hook from the DMV needs to aim for the 75% on the SAT. Deep talent pool competing for even tier two schools.

Thankfully a UMC or asian white kid from the dmv has plenty of life advantages.

white kids, yes. Asian kids, not so much.

+1. Not Asian kids.

PP said life advantages. Are you saying kids who come from the groups in the highest SES in the country don't have plenty of life advantages? Ok.

[Anonymous]

Trying to figure it out too, but a tier down from OPs schools. On the one hand, colleges will receive some of the highest scores to date, albeit less submitted. The kids who took it last Aug, Oct and Dec are submitting very high scores.

So, how does one decide for a kid with a low 1400, only one shot. I think there's so much at play here. DS has shown me all of the emails blowing smoke. College websites have dedicated pages, dripping with empathy for the class of 2021. Yet, if they're getting less score submissions, but higher scores, then the low 1400 score may be a hindrance. Because buried in all the empathy, a low 1400 drags down those 1500+

[Anonymous]

I sound so old but back in 1992 a 1450 SAT was unheard of at my high school and you would have been asked for autographs with a 1400. What the heck happened between then and now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I sound so old but back in 1992 a 1450 SAT was unheard of at my high school and you would have been asked for autographs with a 1400. What the heck happened between then and now?

The test changed 4 or 5 times since then. The current test (redesigned 2016) is not comparable.