Which elite schools emphasize test scores?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you don't say and I'd be curious to know if there is a pattern to your DD's B grades vs. A grades. If she had Bs in 9th and then kicked it up a notch as an upperclassman, i'd recommend a higher reach. Likewise if she earned a B in something like Differential Equations. If she earned As as an underclassman and her grades dropped as material got harder, then I'd look for a better fit school rather than just elite.

Sound advice. Trend is very important.

Agree. Other patterns to consider are if she does better when she has a good relationship with the teacher (which might suggest she would do better at a small college than at a large university), or if she is simply not motivated by grades and instead thrives in classes that strike her fancy and struggles to stay engaged in classes that bore her (which might suggest she is less competitive and perhaps she would do well at a school that is rigorous but where students tend to be more laid back and collegial than cutthroat). Etc.

[Anonymous]

Interesting. I’ve heard some suggest that high test scores accompanied by lower than expected grades is a red flag for laziness. But , I’ve also heard that colleges they are more likely to dismiss less-than-desirable grades when accompanied by an exceptionally high ACT/SAT score. An admissions officer may explain the discrepancy by saying DC was obviously quite bright but must not have been challenged by his high school teachers; he is likely to shine when he is properly engaged by the professors at their prestigious university. That same admissions officer is likely to be suspicious of high grades accompanied by poor test scores and doubt her ability to keep up with the intellectual level of college courses.

[Anonymous]

Interesting. I’ve heard some suggest that high test scores accompanied by lower than expected grades is a red flag for laziness. But , I’ve also heard that colleges they are more likely to dismiss less-than-desirable grades when accompanied by an exceptionally high ACT/SAT score. An admissions officer may explain the discrepancy by saying DC was obviously quite bright but must not have been challenged by his high school teachers; he is likely to shine when he is properly engaged by the professors at their prestigious university. That same admissions officer is likely to be suspicious of high grades accompanied by poor test scores and doubt her ability to keep up with the intellectual level of college courses.

Yeah, but we're not talking about a 35 ACT and Cs which IS a red flag for laziness. We're talking about an A-/B+ student at a rigorous high school. She should have options at great schools, just not Harvard, Yale, or Stanford.