The SAT is an extremely important factor in college admissions, but admissions are so complicated that it’s difficult to tell how the SAT influences an application. An SAT score can make or break a college application and we want to display the true importance of the SAT. After extensive research, we have found data on some of the most applied-to schools for students from the Northeast. We saw that GPA had a large influence- below a certain minimum, each college rejected most students.
But above that minimum, it was students’ SAT scores that determined admission or rejection. From data on yearly admissions, we have compiled a table of information that compares two representative students who are both applying to the same school- one represents the group that will be rejected, and the other stands for the accepted group.
Now, GPA matters as well. For some of these schools, a certain high GPA will virtually guarantee you admittance. On the negative side, there is always a “floor” GPA; below that GPA, the school will not consider you unless you have extraordinary circumstances (e.g. you’re a star athlete). Universities will un-weight the GPA you receive from your high school- some schools use wild weighting systems and the examination must be fair. Schools also consider course difficulty and high school prestige as important factors in admission. For each of these universities, we will lay out the “ceiling” GPA and “floor” GPA. Most students will fall between them, and we will show if they will be admitted based on differences in their SAT score.
Boston College
Let’s begin with Boston College. At BC, the admissions office will probably reject any application with a GPA below 3.5. That is the “floor” GPA. (A career as a star athlete, legacy status at BC, or 1st-generation college status all may be exceptions to this rule.) Even a perfect 4.0 GPA is not enough to guarantee admission to BC; the college rejects applicants with 4.0 GPAs if their SAT scores fall short.
| Student A | Student B | |
| GPA | 3.5-4.0 | 3.5-4.0 |
| SAT | 1200 | 1350 |
| Admission Decision | Denied | Admitted |
These results are based on admissions data from BC over the past few years and represent what is likely to occur. We found that students with a 1200 and below were rejected, whereas students with a 1350 or above were accepted. Between those two scores, students have a medium chance of gaining acceptance, and many in that group were waitlisted by BC.
Villanova
Next, we will review Villanova. At Villanova, a 3.9 GPA seemed to be the “ceiling” GPA and students above that GPA were granted acceptance into Villanova. The “floor” GPA was a 3.5 and students below that GPA found it extremely challenging to be admitted into the school. (Once again, there are exceptions to this, e.g a star basketball player or legacy student.)
| Student A | Student B | |
| GPA | 3.5-3.9 | 3.5-3.9 |
| SAT | 1200 | 1300 |
| Admission Decision | Denied | Admitted |
These results are based on admissions data from Villanova over the last couple years and provided a good representation of what is likely to occur. We found that students below 1200 on the SAT struggled to be admitted to Villanova while students with above a 1300 were accepted. Students who had in between a 1200 and 1300 SAT were generally waitlisted by Villanova and had a hard time gaining admission into the school.
Ohio State
Examining the Ohio State University, we found that students above a 3.8 GPA were admitted no matter what. Those below a 2.8 GPA were not admitted unless they lived in Ohio or were recruited for varsity sports. But between the 2.8 and 3.8 GPA marks, the SAT score made a significant difference.
| Student A | Student B | |
| GPA | 2.8-3.8 | 2.8-3.8 |
| SAT | 1250 | 1350 |
| Admission Decision | Denied | Admitted |
Just 100 extra points on the SAT was enough to push most students to acceptance- or keep them rejected from the school. Students below a 1250 usually did not gain admission (excepting athletes and Ohio residents), and students at a 1350 or above usually were admitted. Those between a 1250 and 1350 sometimes were admitted.
Clemson
We also reviewed Clemson University. At Clemson, a potential student will need at least a 2.8 GPA, as students below the 2.8 mark were mostly rejected. Any GPA above a 3.7 almost guarantees admission into Clemson.
| Student A | Student B | |
| GPA | 2.8-3.7 | 2.8-3.7 |
| SAT | 1100 | 1350 |
| Admissions Decision | Denied | Admitted |
After reviewing Clemson, we noticed that the SAT is very important in the admissions process. Students with below an 1100 were almost always denied and students with above a 1350 were almost always accepted. Students who fell between an 1100 and a 1350 struggled to gain acceptance into the university.
Penn State
Lastly, we will examine Penn State University. Our research into yearly admissions data found that a 3.5 GPA almost guarantees admission into Penn State. On the other hand, a GPA below a 2.5 nearly ensures rejection, except for Pennsylvania residents and recruited athletes. But for students between a 2.5 and 3.5, we can see what they need for admission.
| Student A | Student B | |
| GPA | 2.5-3.5 | 2.5-3.5 |
| SAT | 1000 | 1100 |
| Admission Decision | Denied | Admitted |
Again 100 points makes the difference- most students below 1000 were rejected and most at an 1100 or above were accepted. Students between 1000 and 1100 were usually placed on the wait-list.
These are just five of the most popular schools for students coming out of the Northeast. We saw that GPAs act as gatekeepers for most schools; without a certain minimum GPA, one cannot get in. But once a student meets that threshold, it is the SAT that earns them acceptance or rejection from a school. In most cases, 100 points were enough to determine acceptance or rejection.
Our business is raising SAT scores so you or your student can gain admission to the school you want. The average student here improves their SAT score by 160 points, enough to put an application over the top.
Call us at 732 903 8740 today.
