How important are SATs?

Some colleges don't require that you submit your SAT scores; most do. SATs are important. They are a convenient unit to use to compare students. They are probably even a fair measurement of something related to academic ability and ease of performance.

But, a better answer to this question is: about as important as you want them to be. Throw a half-baked application essay, a high school transcript, and some SAT scores at the admissions office before you bolt out their door and SATs become very important. You haven't given them much else to judge you by.

So SATs aren't your strong suit. You just don't like them. They're not a good measurement of you. You freeze up when you take them. You get bored and start planning your afternoon. You are not alone. But, if you want to get into some more selective colleges, you'd better show a strong suit. So SATs are as important as you want to make them.

Consider other possible strong suits. Those SATs aren't spectacular, but we sure do like her essay. We sure do like the fact that he works very hard in Honors and AP courses. She's show lots of signs of leadership at school and in the community. Not much for SATs, but he sure does seem determined to pursue his interests and he articulates that well.

Yes, you do have to be within an SAT range -- two 300's will be a very tough sell at Harvard -- but the ranges at even the most selective colleges in the country are much broader than you think. You can stretch those ranges by presenting very well some other very strong suits.

Bob Stuart
Yarmouth Educational Consultants, Inc.