Academic Index Calculator

Academic Index Calculator. College Calculator. College Admissions Calculator.

The ‘AI Calculator’ goes by many names and its ubiquitous presence on the web is well-noted by every junior in high school, across the globe. As we’re sure you’re aware, Dr. Michele Hernandez, TTA Co-Founder, revealed this formula to the public back in 1997 with the release of her book A is for Admission. This was a major disruptor to the college admissions approach as finally there was proof and data to back up what seemed to be a terrible over simplification of a student’s 4 years of work. We were the first to bring the real Academic Index Calculator to the web almost 20 years ago, enabling college applicants to calculate their college admission ranking online.

In 2017, we updated our Academic Index Calculator to reflect what Ivy League and college admissions officers were then using in their review of applications. Now we have further updates.

STILL A FACTOR OR NOT?

Standardized testing has always played a role in the AI calculation, though that role appears to be in flux. We suspect that more changes are afoot for the AI and its use to regulate Ivy athletic admissions. In our new test-optional admissions world, its highly likely that a good percentage of students admitted to Ivies – especially those from underrepresented backgrounds – are admitted without test scores. Doing so has the effect of raising the average SAT/ACT scores for the admitted class (since you’ve eliminated lower scores). This then raises the overall AI for the incoming class – meaning that athletic recruits now have a higher bar for admission. It stands to reason that Ivy athletic directors and coaches have lobbied hard against this phenomenon.

Additionally, last fall, an NCAA task force called for the elimination of the SAT/ACT as a tool to determine eligibility at D1 and D2 schools as part of its effort to advance racial equity. That recommendation is working its way through various other NCAA committees. Should it succeed, then it also stands to reason that the Ivies – as D1 schools – would also follow suit.

ACADEMIC INDEX CALCULATOR

Use our College Admissions Calculator to determine your Academic Index ranking, but if you are not a recruited athlete, please use the rating as a tool to determine where you need to focus your efforts to add more heft. The reality is that your grades and rank (either exact or approximated) in your school’s most rigorous course of study is still the most important factor in admissions. Strong SAT/ACT results and AP/IB scores help strengthen your application, even in a test-optional process. The formula is slanted to help recruited athletes make the cut, but you can still get a rough idea of how you rank compared to other applicants.  As we have pointed out for the past 20 years the AI has been on our website, there are many other factors that go into admissions decisions, so use this calculation as one piece of your understanding. 

We are here to guide and support you in your college admissions journey from our blog posts, books, articles, to our internationally acclaimed Application Boot Camp (yup, we coined the phrase way back in 2005 when we launched our first live event) and our platinum service, personal college counseling.