How Important are SAT scores?

[Sean_John]

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How important are SAT scores in admission? I did extremeley well on my math, but not so great in verbal. Should I take the GRE or just send my SAT score?

 

[evajaclynn]

How important are SAT scores in admission? I did extremeley well on my math, but not as great in verbal. Should I take the GRE or just send my SAT score?

What on earth are you talking about?

 

[NYCmed]

I think he's asking how important SAT scores are to postbac programs, and if he should send the score in or take the GRE for a possible superior score.

In my experience SAT scores aren't really important at all to postbac programs (I could be wrong, but the ones I looked at in NY and PA didn't care all that much.) They're more interested in your GPA and, depending on whether your target program is formal/informal, how many (if any) science courses you took in your undergrad college. My SAT score was the other way around--high verbal, horrible math. I was still accepted at Columbia's postbac because my GPA was >3.0 and I hadn't taken a single pre-req.

If I didn't understand your question correctly, I'm sorry. Just thought I'd give it a shot.

 

[Sean_John]

Yes, NYCmed, I was talking about what impact SAT scores have on admission to a post-bacc program. It seems like most post-bacc programs ask for them. I had a 3.45 GPA out of UC Berkeley, and I didn't just want to be rejected from a program for weak SAT scores. Thanks for the help.

 

[evajaclynn]

Sorry about that! I understand now. It seems ridiculous that schools would want SAT scores - that was sooo long ago. Good luck.

 

[ajt2003]

Heeeelllloooooo....

...At Columbia, I think SAT scores used to hold much more weight. Now it's really about your undergraduate institution and undergraduate GPA ( > 3.0). If your SAT scores are particularly weak (less than 500 in a section), you may want to take the GRE -- or, hell, take the SAT again -- just in case! But other than that, SAT scores are really a silly, silly requirement and hardly used in the screening process.

Don't know about NYU or Hunter's view on the SAT though, so you might want to call them and ask.

Best of

 

[sidewalkman]

An advisor at Penn told my group that the SAT is only an asset for their program if it's over 1200, and if it's below, omit it from the app. It won't matter much either way, and is indeed a silly requirement.

 

[Phil Anthropist]

I don't think the SAT will play much of a role in admission to a postbac. Also, I don't know what type of postbac you're going for, but for some of the linkage programs (for those who haven't completed all the prereqs) you're required to have a minimum SAT score to be eligible for the linkage. Just something to keep in mind.

Phil

 

[Crake]

For the Columbia post-bacc, you can submit GRE scores instead, which is good because you'll need to take the GRE at some point if you want to get an MPH or do a special master's program later. That said, I don't think it carries much weight because I got my acceptance before they had my scores, so I certainly don't think there's a SAT/GRE cutoff (although I did report them on my application--so maybe they took them at face value).

Oh, that reminds me, just a little advice: sending GRE scores to Columbia is a nightmare! Plan way ahead in advance if you're going to (as in months) because ETS can't send them directly here!

 

[scrubs09]

Nobody looks at SATs anymore after college. Now, it's a new game. MCAT, GRE..that's about it.