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What is the Academic Index?

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Written by CB Experts

The Academic Index (AI) is a tool used by the Ivies and other colleges and universities to calculate the academic standing of a recruited athlete.

The AI number is based on a student’s standardized test scores and high school grade point average. Ivies look to recruit athletes who have an AI of 176 or higher, but the more likely AI should be 200 and over. An AI that is more than one standard deviation below that of the whole student body would not gain acceptance.

Students and parents can attempt to use an online calculator to predict the AI of the applicant, but because how the AI is actually determined has never been revealed publicly, online calculators are not reliable. Also, although the AI is a great predictor and is very important in the acceptance game, especially among highly selective schools, it is not the only predictor. Essays, recommendations, and interviews also figure into who will be accepted.

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CB Experts

Content created by retired College Admissions consultants.