Which elite schools emphasize test scores?

[Anonymous]

Which elite universities place more emphasis on standardized tests than grades? DC aced the ACT (35), but has just a B+ GPA (at one of the three most rigorous private schools in the area). Varsity athlete, but no legacy or ethnic hooks (we are full pay). Where on the USNEWS list would our “stretch schools” fall? I assume that the less than A average would kill, HYPC + Stanford & Chicago. How about Duke? Dartmouth? Vanderbilt? Washington University? UVA would seem to be a solid safety (we live in Virginia). Are there schools known to place more emphasis on standardized tests?

[Anonymous]

He only has a ~3.2-3 GPA?

[Anonymous]

Maybe Wash U. or Vanderbilt. Def not Duke or Dartmouth. UVA would be a stretch but it might depend on your school's track record with UVA.

Unfortunately a 35 is pretty typical of applicants to most of these schools and many of them also have high GPAs.

[Anonymous]

maybe jhu if applied early.

[Anonymous]

emory perhaps as well.

Carnegie Mellon if you did ED and not to Computer Science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe Wash U. or Vanderbilt. Def not Duke or Dartmouth. UVA would be a stretch but it might depend on your school's track record with UVA.

Unfortunately a 35 is pretty typical of applicants to most of these schools and many of them also have high GPAs.

A 34 on the ACT would put you at the 75% for Duke, so the 35 is hardly typical, but a 3.5 GPA is not going to do it:

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/GPA-SAT-ACT-Graphs/ss/duke-admission-gpa-sat-act.htm

[Anonymous]

ED somewhere

[Anonymous]

Dartmouth looks like a possibility

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/GPA-SAT-ACT-Graphs/ss/dartmouth-admission-gpa-sat-act.htm

[Anonymous]

Our VA high schoolers needed 4.2+ GPA to get into UVA. Check out your school's Naviance to see what other kids' stats are and where they're getting accepted.

[Anonymous]

Penn is another possibility

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/GPA-SAT-ACT-Graphs/ss/penn-admission-gpa-sat-act.htm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our VA high schoolers needed 4.2+ GPA to get into UVA. Check out your school's Naviance to see what other kids' stats are and where they're getting accepted.

UVA seems to emphasize grades, perhaps to prevent the school from being overwhelmed by high scoring NOVA students.

[Anonymous]

University of Chicago weights test scores more than most, it is not out of reach:

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/GPA-SAT-ACT-Graphs/ss/university-of-chicago-admission-gpa-sat-act.htm

[Anonymous]

UVA is not a solid safety and Duke/Vanderbilt/Dartmouth/Wash U are most likely out of reach. (DC went to a "rigorous private school" in which A students were rejected from each of these schools.) These are very tough to schools to get into and these scores are not unusual for applicants. Plus when the scores are higher than corresponding grades, it looks like the applicant is an underachiever.

Look at Naviance (though with a critical eye -- you can't tell which applicants have a hook and that can really skew things) but most of all rely on your college advisor who will be best placed to tell you how someone with your DS' from his school fares.

Of course if he's a strong enough athlete to be recruited thats another thing but I don't get that from your post. And I agree that UVA is a reach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:University of Chicago weights test scores more than most, it is not out of reach:

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/GPA-SAT-ACT-Graphs/ss/university-of-chicago-admission-gpa-sat-act.htm

I don't see anyone on this scattergram getting into Chicago with OP's DS' grades.

[Anonymous]

12:42 again and I apologize if I sounded harsh. But I think your DS is in a great position to ignore prestige which can bee a silly basis to pick a school from anyway. There are a lot of fantastic schools that will take him, schools with excellent reputations that are quite selective. Move away from the herd and he'll have better luck.