Quote:
Originally Posted by whtviper1
ACT/SAT scores can make or break you getting into a good school or a bad school. It is also a measurement against your peers. So what that means is Hawaii students don't stack up against their peers - it is what it is.
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ACT/SAT scores are around the 4th thing colleges look at when evaluating applications. They first look at your class standing - are you in the top 10% 5% 1%?
Next, they look at what classes you have taken and how you did in them. Lots of honors and AP classes? Good. You might have a 4.0 GPA, but if all you've taken are regular classes, or band or drama, or took AP classes but did poorly, you're not going to stack up well against those who did take the harder classes and did well. They also look at if you took the AP exams and if you passed.
Next up is the essay. What does it say about you? Can you clearly express why So-And-So College would be a good match for you? What will you bring to the college?
And now they look at your test scores. Usually the higher scores correlate well with the above factors, and if two applicants are evenly matched, they might take the one with the higher test scores. But not necessarily. All test scores show is what you know on one day.
After this typically come the extra-curricular activities. Colleges are looking for focus, not a laundry list of every club possible, and they're looking for leadership positions (club officer, team captain or co-captain).
Then of course each college is trying to create a good "mix" of students. Or they might need more students who are interested in majoring in Russian or some other subject. It's very subjective and differs from college to college. And a student from Hawai'i may be more desirable in the mix than yet another student from Florida or Ohio or Connecticut, even if those other students have higher test scores.
People have gotten all wrapped up in test scores as the be-all to end-all. They're not; rather they're just one part of the package. And colleges
know about the school you're coming from - they know whether it's a prestigious private school or a competitive public school or a low-income urban school or a small rural school and evaluate your application and transcript accordingly. An application from Punahou or Iolani is evaluated differently than one coming from a high school on Kaua'i or the Big Island. The private school student isn't necessarily going to get the nod over the public school student.
People who drop their kids off at school and expect the school to teach their kids EVERYTHING are in for a rude surprise. It can't be done - students who succeed, whether in public or private school, get a lot of help and support at home, from elementary through high school. Their parents have high expectations for their children and help them succeed - they don't expect the school to do it all, and they don't rely on the school's reputation to take care of things. They know when their children need extra help, they encourage their children to work harder and be challenged rather than going for the easy A. They help their children focus their interests rather than trying to have them doing everything.
Lots of kids from Hawai'i go to "good" colleges. But "good" schools are hard for
all students to get into, and are unaffordable for all except the 1%, no matter where they're from or which high school they went to or what their test scores are. Lots more students here (and their parents) prefer to stay close to home, or go to an affordable school, or one on the west coast when they're choosing a college, just like other kids all over the U.S. prefer to in-state or choose a school closer to home or one that's more affordable. And, college isn't for everyone anyway; there's nothing wrong with pursuing a vocational career, or choosing to delay college for one to a few years.
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