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SAT Remains Heavy Hitter in College Admissions Process

Ivy Bound Test Prep Provides Tips to Help College-Bound Students Excel on the SAT

Despite recent reports, the SAT remains a heavy hitter in the college admissions game. Seventy percent of the 2,500 accredited four-year institutions in the U.S. require the SAT. A recent study commissioned by the National Association of College Admission Counseling, found that 20 to 40 percent of colleges agreed that “a 20-point math increase or a 10-point reading increase would significantly improve a student’s chance of admission.”

“Colleges and universities use students’ standardized test results as a key part of the admissions process,” said Lee Stetson, former dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania and college admissions expert. “They use the highest scores reported when evaluating a student.”

According to Mark Greenstein, founder and lead instructor of Connecticut-based Ivy Bound Test Prep, the importance of SAT scores is encouraging for high school juniors and seniors who want to improve or maintain their college credentials.

“By second semester of junior year, the SAT score is the element a student can burnish most in a college application,” said Greenstein. “After five semesters of high school, grade point average and ‘transcript toughness’ are largely set. The best way for students to improve their college credentials in the final two semesters is by improving their SAT scores.”

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