Should I include my SAT scores if they are low?
If everything else in your application is strong—rigor of classes, GPA, class rank (if applicable), AP test results, extracurricular activities, academic honors, etc. —then we recommend still including your SAT or ACT score if it falls somewhere in the median band, even if it is toward the lower end (25th percentile).
What if my SAT scores are low but my GPA is high?
A high GPA paired with a low SAT score means a few things – most of them bad. In other words, if your academic skill is, in reality, low, you’ll get a high GPA at an easier high school but perform poorly when compared to the rest of the nation on the SAT.
What is the lowest ACT score possible?
a 1
The lowest composite score you can receive on the ACT is a 1, while the highest is a 36. Very few students earn a 1 or a 36; among the graduating class of 2020, the average composite score nationally was a 20.6.
Can I get into college with a bad GPA but good SAT?
Students with a low GPA but high SAT score still may be admitted. It is important to carefully fill out the application. Students should highlight their accomplishments whenever possible. They may want to add extra elements to their application.
Do colleges care if you have low SAT and ACT scores?
Some students do well on certain parts of their SAT and ACT but struggle on other sections. For example, you might have strong reading and writing scores but low math scores. If your preferred college major is English or political science, the college admissions department might not care if your math scores are low.
Should you explain low test scores in college applications?
However, only explain low test scores if you have a valid reason — oversleeping or forgetting your calculator isn’t a good excuse. If your standardized test scores are low, you can apply to colleges that don’t consider SAT and ACT scores as part of their admissions process.
Why do smart students sometimes get low scores on standardized tests?
There is also typically a lot more pressure to do well on a standardized exam than there is to do well on any single test you take in school because ACT and SAT scores are an important part of college applications. There is no one reason why smart students sometimes get low scores on standardized tests.
Why do universities care so much about SAT scores?
Universities care about SAT scores because they see them as an equalizer (for an in-depth explanation of the function of the SAT, check out our other article). Every student in the country received a different high school education. Even students at the same school took different classes or had different teachers.