The eight Ivy League schools are among the most selective colleges in the country. This doesn't mean that you need a 4.0 gpa and 2400 on the SAT to get in (although it doesn't hurt). All the Ivy League schools have holistic admissions, so they are looking for students who will contribute more than good grades and test scores to the campus community. A winning Ivy League application needs to present a strong academic record, meaningful extracurricular activities, glowing letters of recommendation, and a compelling application essay. Your college interview and demonstrated interest may also help, and legacy status can give you an advantage.
When it comes to the empirical part of your application, you will need good grades and test scores to get accepted to an Ivy League school. But how high do those numbers need to be? Check out these GPA and test score graphs for applicants to each of the Ivy League schools: Brown | Columbia | Cornell | Dartmouth | Harvard | Penn | Princeton | Yale
With the release of May SAT scores today, a lot of prospective college students are worried that their scores won't be high enough to get into their top choice schools. If you find that you're panicking over your scores, take a deep breath. Sub-par SAT scores don't have to ruin your college aspirations. Check out these 5 tips for getting into a good college with low SAT scores.
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Scores from the May 4th SAT will be available on the CollegeBoard website beginning Thursday, May 23rd. If your scores aren't as high as you had hoped, don't panic -- you have plenty of options with low SAT scores.
Also, keep in mind that all highly selective colleges have holistic admissions -- they evaluate the whole applicant, not just some numerical data. A winning essay, meaningful extracurricular activities, demonstrated interest and good letters of recommendation can help make up for less-than-ideal test scores. Most important of all is a strong academic record with challenging courses.
That said, if your SAT scores are significantly below the norm for a selective college, your chances of getting accepted will be diminished. These SAT articles and comparison charts can help you figure out how you measure up to matriculated students at different colleges and universities:
I recently published some ideas on how to spend your summer so that you impress college admissions officers and build your resume. For the flip side of the equation, here are 10 ways to waste your summer. You'll find some great advice for wearing out your couch cushions and damaging your skin at a young age.
