Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 17:18     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
UMD with merit + special program
VT
UNC

highest academic rigor, good but not standout ECs
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 16:27     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My sense from our college counselor is that you can take a 1550/1560 and feel comfortable being in the mix at all schools including HYPS. But your question presupposes that it is SAT scores that make the difference for unhooked kids. I think GPA and class rigor matter more, with good ECs also making a big difference. But my kid is a junior so I have no direct experience and would love people’s take on my thoughts.

Common data sets for all top 20 schools say test scores are considered while GPA, rigor and ECs are very important.

Yep, it's the ECs + major. My DC with 1580, 4.0/4.92 from a magnet was shut out of T20s. Ended up UMD as a dual CS/math major. Their ECS were lackluster. They are super smart but didn't have much motivation in HS.


Your DC sounds amazing. And anyone with a 4.0 is motivated! My DC has a similar profile (gpa is a bit lower), and has strong hobby interests but just isn’t into the sorts of ECs that seem to land kids at top schools. I am letting them be who they are, and the college chips will fall where they will.


Seriously? She said: “Their ECS were lackluster. They are super smart but didn't have much motivation in HS.”

This doesn’t sound like an amazing kid. Sounds like a smart but unmotivated kid who didn’t do much outside if school.

What do you think makes this kid sound amazing?


I read this as their kid likely had very normal ECs such as varsity sports, a couple clubs, part time job. Just a varsity sport and part time job, plus keeping a 4.0 with hard classes is super time consuming. OP likely meant they weren’t motivated to find some obscure hobby, start a nonprofit, or build a Time Machine in basement. Normal ECs keep kids very busy, engaged and are enjoyable, but also aren’t “impressive” to admissions for top colleges.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 16:25     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Rice with a 35 on the ACT, which I think is about equivalent to a 1550-1560 on the SAT.

Very unhooked. But I don't think test scores really mattered. Anyone with a 1500/34 is competitive everywhere. It will be the rest of the app that matters.


Most AO's use the concordance table which shows a 35 is a 1510-1530.


Try again.
1530-1560
Not my kid but I hate authoritative Disinformation idiots on here.

https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/act-sat-concordance.html


Me too, keep up the fight for factual information.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 16:14     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Rice with a 35 on the ACT, which I think is about equivalent to a 1550-1560 on the SAT.

Very unhooked. But I don't think test scores really mattered. Anyone with a 1500/34 is competitive everywhere. It will be the rest of the app that matters.


Most AO's use the concordance table which shows a 35 is a 1510-1530.


Try again.
1530-1560
Not my kid but I hate authoritative Disinformation idiots on here.

https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/act-sat-concordance.html
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 16:11     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Anonymous wrote:Rice with a 35 on the ACT, which I think is about equivalent to a 1550-1560 on the SAT.

Very unhooked. But I don't think test scores really mattered. Anyone with a 1500/34 is competitive everywhere. It will be the rest of the app that matters.


Most AO's use the concordance table which shows a 35 is a 1510-1530.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 16:08     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Anonymous wrote:Rice with a 35 on the ACT, which I think is about equivalent to a 1550-1560 on the SAT.

Very unhooked. But I don't think test scores really mattered. Anyone with a 1500/34 is competitive everywhere. It will be the rest of the app that matters.


This is the key. The test scores check a box or do not. It is everything else that makes the decsion. Put another way -- a high score gets you in the conversation but does not get you the slot -- in any way. And once the school's number is passed that is it. Meaning if the school is looking for 1550, a 1580 or even a 1600 is not adding at all.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 16:05     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
"one sitting" is a flex ... taken only once (no super scoring)
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 15:59     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Anonymous wrote:Case Western, 1560 one sitting, excellent ECs.


What’s with the “one sitting”?
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 15:53     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Rice with a 35 on the ACT, which I think is about equivalent to a 1550-1560 on the SAT.

Very unhooked. But I don't think test scores really mattered. Anyone with a 1500/34 is competitive everywhere. It will be the rest of the app that matters.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 15:42     Subject: Re:Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Anonymous wrote:Wash U. 1560 in one sitting.


Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 15:40     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Case Western, 1560 one sitting, excellent ECs.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 15:32     Subject: Re:Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Wash U. 1560 in one sitting.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 15:25     Subject: Re:Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
UChicago, one sitting, unhooked but national stem award, etc.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 15:12     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My sense from our college counselor is that you can take a 1550/1560 and feel comfortable being in the mix at all schools including HYPS. But your question presupposes that it is SAT scores that make the difference for unhooked kids. I think GPA and class rigor matter more, with good ECs also making a big difference. But my kid is a junior so I have no direct experience and would love people’s take on my thoughts.

Common data sets for all top 20 schools say test scores are considered while GPA, rigor and ECs are very important.

Yep, it's the ECs + major. My DC with 1580, 4.0/4.92 from a magnet was shut out of T20s. Ended up UMD as a dual CS/math major. Their ECS were lackluster. They are super smart but didn't have much motivation in HS.


Your DC sounds amazing. And anyone with a 4.0 is motivated! My DC has a similar profile (gpa is a bit lower), and has strong hobby interests but just isn’t into the sorts of ECs that seem to land kids at top schools. I am letting them be who they are, and the college chips will fall where they will.


Seriously? She said: “Their ECS were lackluster. They are super smart but didn't have much motivation in HS.”

This doesn’t sound like an amazing kid. Sounds like a smart but unmotivated kid who didn’t do much outside if school.

What do you think makes this kid sound amazing?
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2026 14:47     Subject: Where did unhooked 1550-1560 kids ended up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My sense from our college counselor is that you can take a 1550/1560 and feel comfortable being in the mix at all schools including HYPS. But your question presupposes that it is SAT scores that make the difference for unhooked kids. I think GPA and class rigor matter more, with good ECs also making a big difference. But my kid is a junior so I have no direct experience and would love people’s take on my thoughts.

Common data sets for all top 20 schools say test scores are considered while GPA, rigor and ECs are very important.

Yep, it's the ECs + major. My DC with 1580, 4.0/4.92 from a magnet was shut out of T20s. Ended up UMD as a dual CS/math major. Their ECS were lackluster. They are super smart but didn't have much motivation in HS.


Your DC sounds amazing. And anyone with a 4.0 is motivated! My DC has a similar profile (gpa is a bit lower), and has strong hobby interests but just isn’t into the sorts of ECs that seem to land kids at top schools. I am letting them be who they are, and the college chips will fall where they will.