It is very high but they're also the sorority with the highest GPA on campus (I think)...I missed the Omega Awards this year so it might've changed.

You are right, it does depend on the college. I was actually thinking of the U of A specifically when I responded. I should have clarified. Sorry! :)

I wasn't really worried about Rush until I read this board. I have a 30 ACT but only a 2.7 GPA because I went through some bad things my junior year and lost all focus. I was involved (and led) many activities in high school and volunteered quite a bit. But because of my GPA, is it a possiblity that some houses won't even consider me?

Sorry, I've gotten so nervous reading this that I had to ask!

Yes it's possible. The lower your gpa is compared to other incoming freshman the more likely it can hurt you.

It's a VERY distinct possibility that some houses won't even consider you. A 2.7 from high school is very poor for someone who is planning on going to a 4-year college.

A 2.7 is very low BUT a 30 is a very good ACT score. They can balance each other out sometimes - it depends on the campus and the competitiveness of your Greek system. The women who write your rec(s) and letters can help by addressing whatever happened your junior year so they can explain to the houses that you are able to handle the academic load of college.

And, this fall (if that is when you go through rush), or whenever, keep an open mind as you go through the process. You gpa will be an issue for some houses, no matter what.

We will be rooting for you! Keep us posted. :)

That's exactly what I was worried about. I guess I'll just have to charm their pants off. Thanks so much for the advice though! I really appreciate it. I'll keep you girls posted.

HIgh grades, low test scores.
 

What about the opposite? The PNM that has high grades and low SAT/ACT. I would assume if given a choice, you would not list them. What is considered good on the SAT/ACT today? When I took the SAT with my stone tablet and the no abacus rule my 1350 was considered excellent. But I noticed scores seemed to be going up even before they added the extra 800 points. SO if a 30 is good on the ACT where does it become not so good 25, 28? And what about the SAT is 2100 good and below 1800 not so good?
I hope that makes sense.

DoubleRose

I realize it depends on the school, but I thinking about places where everyone has 3.8 or above GPA. Would you use test scores to help decide who gets the grades brownie points?

This applied to my school (everyone has a 3.8 and above), but it was kind of a moot point since we had deferred recruitment and took first semester grades. But at the same time, we didn't even get test scores. I don't think that's a common thing to even get on a rush application.

Actually, at the University of Arkansas, for example, an ACT or SAT score is part of the rush application. All academic info for PNMs is confirmed/verified/gpa's converted to 4.0 scale by university before their rush application info is made available to the houses.

In my experience, the test score carries less weight when compared to a high gpa. Girls are more apt to think, "Here is a smart girl who just really didn't test well." But, that is certainly not set in stone.

Here is the website that details ACT scores and their corresponding percentiles:

http://www.actstudent.org/scores/norms1.html

The average ACT composite score is 20-21. I would assume the average PNM's score is somewhat higher. To see an average HS score of 25-26, though, would be impressive. Those scores compare nationally with percentiles of 81-85%. Private or competitive prep school, perhaps?

I am not familiar with SAT scores, but I don't think ACT scores have seen significant score inflation. We had some old 1970's test reports on file; a 27 in 1977 was at the 93rd percentile, now it is 89th. A 32 was at the 99th percentile both in the 70's and now.

I agree with this post and KSUViolet06 in stating that most sororities look mostly at GPAs. IMHO, however, test scores should be looked at more closely to predict success in college. It is easier to "fake" a good HS GPA with easy classes, grade inflation, and good reputation than it is to fake a good ACT or SAT score.

I believe the SAT was experiencing grade inflation, and in the mid-to-late 90s the test was reworked to account for this and make it harder. I don't know exactly when but sometime before I took the SAT for the first time... in... 1999 I think?

I don't know if they made the test harder but I remember that they "reset" the scores. You could now get a "perfect" score with out being "perfect".

Welcome back, DoubleRose,

The Alpha Gam RIF doesn't include space for ACT or SAT. That doesn't mean that the PNM cant include the information on a resume, if the school recommends one.

Hindsight: My High School GPA was good, my test scores were ok, but my college grades were great. So, I can't agree with those who say that test scores are a good prediction. Point blank....I am a bad test taker. But I'll blow someone away on an project or a paper.