SAT vs GPA: Which Is More Important?

Which is weighted more?

Overall, the SAT is weighed more than your GPA. While the amount your SAT score is considered by admissions officers is different for each college, it is generally weighed as 30-40% of your application. This is because the SAT compares you to students all over the nation, while your GPA only compares you to students in your school. Although GPAs give an understanding of all four years, it can be untrustworthy as workers at schools are the ones computing them. This makes the GPAs biased as the school may inflate them to improve their look to parents of eighth-graders and college admissions officers.

Different schools also teach the same classes at varying levels of difficulty. A biology course in one high school may not be as hard as a biology course at another. An unweighted GPA does not account for the rigorousness of college-level classes. This means that even if Sunny took more rigorous and honors classes, he may have a lower GPA than Washif, who did not take any. On the other hand, the SAT is unbiased because it is administered and graded by a third party, the College Board, and is the same test and level of difficulty for every student across the nation. Also, colleges tend to favor students with high SAT scores because it boosts their statistics, increasing their rankings in and making them look more selective. 

The 4 Scenarios 

Here we’ll talk about your chances and what your SAT and GPA show about you. We’re defining a high SAT score as a 1450 or above. 

High SAT and High GPA

This is the most favorable situation to be in. It shows colleges that you are ready for college-level courses and are hardworking. Make sure to work on the other aspects of your application, essays and extracurriculars, to ensure a higher chance of acceptance to your dream college. 

High SAT and Low GPA

If your SAT score is high, but your GPA is low, admission officers will most likely look over your GPA. They may take your GPA as a sign that you were not adequately engaged or challenged in high school, but your SAT scores prove that you are capable of college-level courses. You should still try to boost your GPA as much as you can to increase your chances of getting in. 

Low SAT and High GPA

Generally, this shows admissions officers that you are diligent and hard working. A low SAT score questions your aptitude and if you are ready for the level of difficulty of college classes. They may also be suspicious about how the school calculates the GPA and if it is inflated. If you have not sent your applications in already, take the SAT one more time. Be sure to study a better way than you had for your previous test. Here are some tips on how to improve your SAT score. If the SAT is not working out for you, try taking the ACT instead. Both are standardized tests that measure aptitude, but the material and structure of the two tests are radically different. If you decide to take the ACT, keep in mind that there are a few colleges that do not accept ACT scores. Check to see if the colleges you are applying to accept them. 

Low SAT and Low GPA

If you are in this position, you should consider taking the SAT one more time and improving your GPA as much as possible before you send your applications. Here are some tips on how to improve your SAT score. If the SAT is not your cup of tea, try taking the ACT. However, if you take the ACT, you should check to see that the colleges you are applying to accept ACT scores. You should make sure your Common Application essay and supplements are perfect. Many colleges take students with a low SAT score and GPA if their essay and supplements are extremely well-written and compelling. Here are some tips to help you with your college essay. You should ask your college counselor if your state has any programs that help students who are economically and academically disadvantaged but have potential. These programs provide students with tutoring and resources to improve their application. A number of esteemed colleges accept students from these programs. In New York, there are two of these programs, EOP and HEOP.  

Conclusion

Although the SAT is weighed more than your GPA, do not overlook that aspect of your application. A good GPA shows that you are dedicated, focused, and diligent. When combined with your transcript, your GPA shows your improvement over time. These are all qualities that admissions officers are looking for in future students. If you and another applicant have similar SAT scores, the one with the higher GPA and better application will be chosen. Remember that college applications are holistic, so put as much effort as possible into all parts of your application—SAT, GPA, essays, and extracurriculars—to ensure that you have a higher chance of getting into your top colleges. 

Specialized High Schools vs Regular Public High Schools

High school is the next big step in your academic career. Choosing where you’ll spend the next four years of your life is a hard decision. One thing that you should consider when choosing high schools is whether you want to go to a Specialized High School or a regular public high school.  You can find out more about which schools would be the best fit for you by clicking here. Specialized High Schools, unlike other public high schools,  can provide their students with a strong education through their ample funding and strong alumni network. The only admission requirement for eight of these high schools is the SHSAT test. Unlike the other specialized high schools, Laguardia High School requires an audition or portfolio for admission. Without further ado, here are the main differences between Specialized High Schools and regular public schools: 

AP Classes:

Advanced Placement Courses are introductory college-level courses you can take in high school. After taking an AP course, you can take the AP test in May. Based on this score, you may receive college credit for the course. This can help you get a headstart in college. Specialized High Schools tend to offer more AP classes than regular high schools. Most also require you to take at least one before you graduate and replace regular courses with AP courses. Many, like Stuyvesant High School, also teach their basic courses at the AP level, making you prepared to take the AP test by the end of the course. Look into what AP courses are offered at any school that you are interested in. 

Electives:

Electives are classes focused on one field or subfield of a subject (i.e. Neurobiology or Multivariable Calculus). Taking these electives can further your knowledge in a field you are interested in, giving you a headstart. It can also differentiate you from other applicants when you are applying to college. Taking difficult courses (college-level electives) and electives in a field you may want to major in will strengthen your college application when the time comes. Because they get more funding, Specialized High Schools offer countless electives. Generally, you can find a list of electives that the school offers on their website. 

Curriculum:

You can also look into schools whose curriculum is specialized in one field. For example, the Bronx Academy for Software Engineering’s curriculum focuses on software engineering and computer science. Multiple schools, like Brooklyn Tech, has a major system. Major systems allow you to choose from a variety of different majors or paths and take courses related to that major. For example, students at Brooklyn Tech in the Architecture major may take courses related to drafting and AutoCAD. You should also consider choosing between STEM and the liberal arts. Schools like Bronx Science specialize in the STEM fields, while schools like Brooklyn Latin specialize in the humanities.

College Preparation:

The ultimate goal of high school is to get into your ideal college. You’ll want to go to a high school that prepares you well for what’s ahead. Make sure the high schools you’re going to have a designated college office that works to help you get into your choice of college. These offices will provide you with resources, like help with college applications and organizing college trips. You should also consider going to a school with a good reputation. Specialized High Schools have a good reputation among top colleges for providing good students. This makes colleges more likely to accept students from Specialized High Schools. The rigorous curriculum at Specialized High Schools makes you prepared for the difficulty of college. Students who have graduated from Specialized High Schools and moved onto college have noted that college is easier than high school.

Clubs/Teams: 

Extracurricular activities are activities you do outside of the classroom, including clubs, teams, and student governments. Participating in them will strengthen your college application. Based on your extracurriculars, colleges can have a holistic understanding of who you are as a person and your goals. Extracurriculars can also help you get involved in activities that strengthen your knowledge in your academic and career interests. Schools with more funding have more extracurriculars because they can spread money to support their clubs and teams. 

Competitiveness: 

The social environment of your school can heavily influence your grades and achievements in high school. You will want to consider what type of environment works best for you. Do you thrive in a competitive environment or do you prefer less pressure?  You may also want to consider the fact that while you may be at the top of your middle school, going to a specialized high school, like Stuyvesant will most likely mean you are no longer at the top. This is known as the small fish in a big pond effect. The opposite effect is known as the big fish in a small pond. If you go to a smaller school, you are more likely to stand out and be at the top. Factors that you should look into when determining the competitiveness of a school are the class sizes, number of students per grade, graduation rate, and the percent of students that take college-level courses. However, you should think about who you want to be surrounded with. Even if you are no longer the top student, you will be surrounded by people who are as driven as you, pushing you to work harder. 

The Best Non-Specialized Public High Schools

The best non-specialized public high schools tend to be screened. Screened schools are schools that look at your grades, attendance, and test scores from 7th grade to determine your admission. Some also require you to complete an interview or hand in a portfolio. Here’s a list of some of the best public schools in the city: 

• Bard High School Early College: Bard is a unique high school that allows you to graduate with both a high school diploma and an Associates Degree. Their curriculum allows you to finish two years of college by the time you graduate from high school. There are two campuses: Manhattan and Queens. Bard requires applicants to take an entrance exam and to complete an interview. 

• Beacon High School: Beacon’s curriculum focuses on college preparatory. It offers countless AP and Honors level courses, while also boasting hundreds of different clubs and teams. Unlike most schools, Beacon requires students to complete Performance-Based Assessments/Projects to pass the course. Beacon requires applicants to complete an interview and submit a portfolio of their work. 

• Townsend Harris High School: Townsend Harris’ curriculum focuses on the liberal arts. However, they still have a strong STEM program. All courses at Townsend Harris are Honors level. They also offer a Senior Bridge Year at Queens College, allowing students to complete 12 college credits. Townsend Harris requires that all applicants must have a 90% average or higher. 

• New Explorations Into Science, Technology + Math: Since their opening in 2001, NEST+m has had 100% of their graduates move on to college. Their curriculum is STEM-based and students are required to complete 60 hours of community service by the time they graduate. NEST+m also has a partnership with the College Now program at Hunter College, allowing their students to take college courses while in high school. 

Deciding where you’ll go to high school is a difficult task. Make sure to take every factor into account when making your list. If you still need some help deciding where to go, you can find more information that can help you here or come in for consulting at Synergy Prep. At the end of the day, remember that even if you don’t get into your top choice, it’s not about what high school you go to, but rather how well you perform at your schools and how well you use the resources that have been provided to you. 

Useful tips on how to write a good College Essay

The personal essay is one of the components of the Common Application for college admissions. While it isn’t weighted as heavily as factors such as grades and standardized test scores, your personal essay can indeed make or break your application. A strong essay can set you ahead of students who have similar grades and SAT/ACT scores as you. Likewise, a weak essay can undermine an otherwise stellar application.

The personal essay is a space to showcase your character, personality, and story to admissions officers. It paints a more holistic picture of who you are as a person beyond the stats.

Guidelines

Choose one of the provided Common App essay prompts and respond in 650 words or less. These are the prompts for the 2018-2019 admissions season:

1.      Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2.      The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3.      Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4.      Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5.      Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6.      Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7.      Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Essay Writing Tips

-          Take the time to brainstorm. It may be the case that none of the prompts speak to you immediately. That’s okay. Go through each prompt and jot down some notes on potential topics you can write about for each one. Then narrow it down to a topic on which you have a significant story to tell.

-          Organization is everything. Always outline before you begin writing. Outlining looks different for everyone – find an outlining method that works for you and organize your ideas in a coherent and logical manner.

-          Use concrete examples. It’s not enough to state that you are passionate about environmental issues. Instead, highlight an experience that illustrates how you are passionate about environmental issues. Be specific and detailed in your examples.

-          Analyze, don’t just summarize. Don’t spend the bulk of your essay merely describing an anecdote. You should certainly give an overview of the situation at hand, but the majority of the essay should be spent reflecting on the meaning and impact of the situation, rather than simply summarizing what happened.

-          Use sophisticated vocabulary. Since your essay is used to determine your college readiness, it’s important to utilize college-level vocabulary. That said, make sure you are using these vocabulary words correctly as well!

-          Avoid bragging. Many students use their college essay as little more than a chance to show off one or more of their impressive accomplishments. This is a wasted opportunity. Your essay is a space to demonstrate to colleges that you are a thoughtful and self-aware person who can analyze their experiences from a place of humility. While it’s wonderful that you scored the winning point and led your varsity basketball team to victory, what did you learn from that experience?

-          Proofread, proofread, proofread. Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation are non-negotiable.

-          Get feedback. Give your essay to a few qualified individuals you trust, such as your college counselor or English teacher. Having these additional perspectives will enable you to view your essay more objectively and identify potential areas of improvement you may not have considered on your own. Use the constructive criticism from others to help you revise your essay as you see fit.

Above all, write about what matters to you. If you truly care about the story you are telling, your integrity will demonstrate itself on the page. A genuine, well-crafted personal essay can only strengthen your college application.

---

What colleges look at: The importance of taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes

Advanced Placement (AP) is a program that allows you to take college-level courses while still in high school. At the end of each AP class, you can take the corresponding AP exam and potentially earn college credit for the class.

There are 38 AP exams in total, but the number of AP exams offered varies from school to school. Many high schools do not offer any AP classes or exams at all.

When choosing a high school to attend, it’s important to consider whether AP classes and exams are offered, and if so, which ones.

Without further ado, the 3 biggest reasons why you should take APs are:

1.      They prepare you for college. AP classes generally function like introductory-level college courses. In other words, they’re designed to be more challenging than your average high school classes.

For instance, AP US History is a lot more analytical than the standard Regents US History offered at most NYC high schools. The AP version goes further than what happened in American history – it puts a lot more emphasis on the how and why, and focuses on broader themes. Classes like this can help you get accustomed to the type of analytical thinking that is regularly expected of you in college-level work.

2.      You can earn college credit. If you get an adequate score on an AP exam, many colleges will offer you credit in that subject. (An adequate score generally means at least a 3 or 4, depending on the school.)

In many cases, earning college credit for AP’s will exempt you from taking certain introductory courses in college. For example, a sufficient score on one of the AP Calculus exams may allow you to skip entry-level Calculus in college and go straight into a more advanced math course instead.

 3.      You’ll have an edge in college admissions. If your high school offers AP classes and exams, colleges will pay attention to whether you took advantage of them.

Taking AP classes and doing well on the corresponding AP exams shows colleges that you are motivated, capable, and ready for college-level academic work. AP classes and exam scores strengthen your college application and make you a more favorable candidate.

Overall, AP classes enrich your high school academic experience and challenge you to think more critically. At the same time, they give you a head start in your college career by offering college credit and letting you place out of introductory courses.

If you’re applying to high schools right now, pay close attention to the AP offerings at your prospective schools. Do they offer any AP classes at all? If so, do they offer AP classes you may want to take in particular, based on your interests and potential career goals?

If you’re in high school at the moment, plan ahead with regards to which AP classes and exams you intend to take and when. And of course, diligent studying and test prep will help you do well in these challenging classes, and achieve your desired scores on the exams!

---