Anonymous
11/21/2025 16:51
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I mean, that test score isn't really materially different than a kid with, say, a 1560. It's basically a lottery at those schools.
The problem is these schools are full of applicants with amazing ECs and over the top GPAs. A test score of 1560 certainly has an advantage over a test score of 1490. It's not like the one having 1560 has worse ECs or grades, they all have them.
The 1490 with solid rigor and great ECs is going to have a better time in admissions over the 1560 without the compelling ECs. That's college admissions in America today. To its benefit.
Every Top 25 college does holistic admissions. To their credit. 3 questions on the SAT does not equate being class president or editor of the student paper or the volunteer working at the senior center or the internship at NASA or being the captain of the soccer team and on and on.
3 questions on the SAT. That's what people are talking about .
And any university deciding things on how students did on three questions on an early Saturday morning is not a university worth going to.
Anonymous
11/21/2025 16:37
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:CS is being discussed here as if all colleges admit by major. Many colleges, particularly private ones, make all majors available to all students.
And it's smart to apply to several of those. In fact my kids applied to mostly those, because if engineering doesn't work out (it did for both) where do engineers go, business or something else stem..and you need to know you can change if you want, which doesn't Happen at a CV old that admit solely by major
Except if you have a résumé that screams computer science or engineering with all the attendant activities, including coding and competitions and robotics, and whatever else those kids have, a ln AO is going to take that into consideration because they cannot admit a whole class of those kids, regardless of how spectacular they are. They reach a quota. And sometimes that quota is reached pretty early on.
Ask any former admissions officer and they will tell you How this really works in action. Of course no one is admitting by major. But they absolutely do take your major into consideration. The Harvard litigation showed that precisely. They spelled it out. Read through that discussion.
You are naïve if you think your major designation is not taken into account by the university. It absolutely is. And it absolutely is with respect to your demographic information.
Being different is always a good thing. Standing out is always a good thing. That’s just common sense 101 when it comes to college admissions.
Not really, it's still a lottery whatever major.
Anonymous
11/21/2025 16:35
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:CS is being discussed here as if all colleges admit by major. Many colleges, particularly private ones, make all majors available to all students.
And it's smart to apply to several of those. In fact my kids applied to mostly those, because if engineering doesn't work out (it did for both) where do engineers go, business or something else stem..and you need to know you can change if you want, which doesn't Happen at a CV old that admit solely by major
Except if you have a résumé that screams computer science or engineering with all the attendant activities, including coding and competitions and robotics, and whatever else those kids have, a ln AO is going to take that into consideration because they cannot admit a whole class of those kids, regardless of how spectacular they are. They reach a quota. And sometimes that quota is reached pretty early on.
Ask any former admissions officer and they will tell you How this really works in action. Of course no one is admitting by major. But they absolutely do take your major into consideration. The Harvard litigation showed that precisely. They spelled it out. Read through that discussion.
You are naïve if you think your major designation is not taken into account by the university. It absolutely is. And it absolutely is with respect to your demographic information.
Being different is always a good thing. Standing out is always a good thing. That’s just common sense 101 when it comes to college admissions.
Anonymous
11/21/2025 16:26
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I mean, that test score isn't really materially different than a kid with, say, a 1560. It's basically a lottery at those schools.
Would you rather have a 1 in 12 shot at the lottery or a 1 in 5? That is the difference in the Ivies between a 1490 and a 1560.
Not really, it's still a lottery either way.
Anonymous
11/21/2025 16:21
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:I mean, that test score isn't really materially different than a kid with, say, a 1560. It's basically a lottery at those schools.
The problem is these schools are full of applicants with amazing ECs and over the top GPAs. A test score of 1560 certainly has an advantage over a test score of 1490. It's not like the one having 1560 has worse ECs or grades, they all have them.
Anonymous
11/21/2025 16:09
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:CS is being discussed here as if all colleges admit by major. Many colleges, particularly private ones, make all majors available to all students.
And it's smart to apply to several of those. In fact my kids applied to mostly those, because if engineering doesn't work out (it did for both) where do engineers go, business or something else stem..and you need to know you can change if you want, which doesn't Happen at a CV old that admit solely by major
Anonymous
11/21/2025 16:07
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:Unless your DC has a very compelling story to tell, I would not waste an ED on a T20 university. My DS is a senior applying to schools with a 1500 and typical grades (top 5%) and leadership ECs at the school level. Applying to top 25-35 range universities and 15-30 range LACs. Applying ED a school where his SAT is at the median.
Get the SAT up 50 points and it’s a different conversation.
Why not? That is the best way to get into one?
My kid had similar stats (1480/3.98 uw/8 Ap largely stem) and got into everything outside the top 30 (and wl at tufts). So the ED was the best chance at the t10 they loved (my Alma mater--so yeah great school they would have loved it there)
But with good targets and safeties you should get into most of those (my kid got into all of them most with great merit)
Anonymous
11/21/2025 16:01
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:I mean, that test score isn't really materially different than a kid with, say, a 1560. It's basically a lottery at those schools.
Would you rather have a 1 in 12 shot at the lottery or a 1 in 5? That is the difference in the Ivies between a 1490 and a 1560.
Anonymous
11/21/2025 15:55
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
I mean, that test score isn't really materially different than a kid with, say, a 1560. It's basically a lottery at those schools.
Anonymous
11/21/2025 15:53
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If unhooked, 1490 will be tough for Ivies. Doable, but tough. For Dartmouth, a 1490 gives you a 7% chance of admission, while a 1550 gives you more than 20% chance. Below 1400, a 1% chance. This was when Dartmouth was test optional.
Cornell is def possible. Is this for ED2 or RD?
ED2: WashU/UChicago/Emory
RD: Cornell (pick niche major and spend weeks on those essays and get the Cornell whisperer to give you essay comments). Also Try Columbia.
Who is the Cornell whisperer?
Anonymous
11/21/2025 15:08
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Umich ED is the very easiest, 1490 should be more than whats needed
Anonymous
11/21/2025 15:04
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:Top grades, a few very strong extracurriculars. Is a top 20 possible?
My national EC awards/niche humanities major got into the following T20/25 test-optional last cycle:
Northwestern
Cornell
Vanderbilt
Michigan
USC
Anonymous
11/21/2025 15:01
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:If unhooked, 1490 will be tough for Ivies. Doable, but tough. For Dartmouth, a 1490 gives you a 7% chance of admission, while a 1550 gives you more than 20% chance. Below 1400, a 1% chance. This was when Dartmouth was test optional.
Cornell is def possible. Is this for ED2 or RD?
ED2: WashU/UChicago/Emory
RD: Cornell (pick niche major and spend weeks on those essays and get the Cornell whisperer to give you essay comments). Also Try Columbia.
Anonymous
11/21/2025 14:52
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
If unhooked, 1490 will be tough for Ivies. Doable, but tough. For Dartmouth, a 1490 gives you a 7% chance of admission, while a 1550 gives you more than 20% chance. Below 1400, a 1% chance. This was when Dartmouth was test optional.
Anonymous
11/21/2025 14:47
Subject: what schools can a kid with a 1490.....
Anonymous wrote:Top grades, a few very strong extracurriculars. Is a top 20 possible?
UCB, UCLA
Go test optional: Chicago, NU, Notre Dame