SAT and ACT: Are scores on these tests indicative of my college acceptance?

Hey guys (and gals), this is John, I'm one of Sohan's friends here at Cornell University. I just wanted to tell you a little bit about SAT and ACT scores and if you have any questions, feel free to respond. It is a long lived myth that the primary factor colleges take into consideration is your score on the SAT or ACT. Some schools you are considering may have statistics on their websites that suggest that your score is not high enough to get accepted. But remember, when you are looking on these websites, the data they present typically consist of the mean or the median scores and don't fully represent the whole student body.

Here is one personal example in which comparatively lower SAT scores had no effect on admissions. When I arrived at Cornell University, I met Sohan and soon after, when we were discussing our college decisions, I revealed my SAT score of 1900. This came as a bit of a shock to him because the average SAT score at Cornell is around 2100. My score was 200 points below average and I had no troubles getting accepted into Cornell and many other top tier schools. I knew the high school I went to was well below national academic achievement averages so I became heavily involved in extracurricular activities in order to remedy this disadvantaged academic background.

I also have friends from my high school who had SAT scores right at 1500 and had no trouble in getting accepted into other nationally ranked colleges and universities. We will discuss more about essential extracurricular activities later on. For now, the point to remember is that SAT scores and ACT scores are not indicative of your chances of being admitted into the college of your choice. Focus on your high school grades and extracurricular activities and these will lead you down the pathway to success!

For those of you who feel that your SAT score is much lower than you want it to be and you really need some extra help, stay tuned for a blog on how to succeed on the SATs.