Question:
Hi Jason,
I enjoy your site thoroughly as I have improved a lot on my
practice SAT scores. I would like to ask you question about college
admissions. Do the admissions officers like a heavy course load with
average grades or a light course load with stellar grades. I have a
mid to high B average in a courseload that involves a lot of science
and lab courses. Also can a high SAT score override this mid to B
average? I am just worried that the admissions officer will not look
at the detail of my courseload and just look at the grades (my belief
that with the thousands of applications they have to read, do they
look very thoroughly in each one?). I hope your answer will perhaps
calm my nerves down.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Answer:
Thanks for your question. I'm happy to help out, so always feel free to contact me like this.
It is best to challenge yourself with hard courses and perform at a slightly lower level. The better the college, the more rigorous courses you take. Straight As with an easy load shows little initiative and risk-taking. Taking the tough classes and getting Bs shows a commitment to learning and genuine interest in your subjects.
I would need to know which colleges you're considering and still cannot guarantee anything when it comes to "overriding" your grades. However, I can say that because a lot of schools have such varying grade systems, college admissions officers do often weigh the SAT more significantly as a baseline measure.
Does this answer your questions?
Regards,
Jason
