What matters more—your GPA or your test scores? Learn how colleges evaluate both when it comes to admission and securing full funding.

GPA vs SAT/ACT: What Really Matters for Full Funding in College Admissions

Hello Reader,

One of the most common questions I get from prospective college students and their families is this:

What matters more in college admissions—in-school grades (your transcript) or standardized test scores like the SAT, ACT, or international exams such as GCSE or IB?

The honest answer is: it all matters.

Unless a school or program explicitly states that a specific test score is required—such as certain state scholarship programs in places like Georgia or Florida, where a defined score can unlock a set amount of merit aid—colleges are evaluating a student's full academic profile.

That includes:

• Your transcript (grades over time, rigor of coursework)
• Your standardized test scores (if submitted or required)
• The context around both

The nuance lies in how these pieces work together, not which one “wins.”

Understanding How Colleges Evaluate Your Academic Profile

🎥 Watch the video below, where I answer this exact question during a live session with a CFF student:

​

These are exactly the kinds of nuances we break down inside CFF College Fully Funded®, our college admissions coaching program.

In the program, we work with serious rising high school seniors whose families cannot afford to pay for college out-of-pocket, helping them:

• Successfully apply to college
• Secure admission
• Obtain full funding
• Avoid student debt

We are actively enrolling now for Summer and Fall 2026 sessions, and spots are filling quickly. If you're interested in exploring whether this is the right fit, I encourage you to reach out.

Join Me Live in the Coming Weeks

Starting March 31, I’ll be going live several times a week on Facebook to answer common college admissions questions in real time.

Feel free to join me and bring your questions. If you cannot join live be sure to check out the replay on both Facebook and Instagram.

Next week’s schedule:

• Tuesday, March 31 at 5:00 PM ET
• Wednesday, April 1 at 8:00 PM ET
• Thursday, April 2 at 7:00 PM ET

Please add these times to your calendar if you'd like to attend. And if you subscribe, I’ll send you reminders and links as we get closer.

I hope you have a great week.

To college fully funded,

Dr. Faith Okpotor Founder and CFF Head Coach National Center for Higher Education Access Award-winning academic and tenured professor

​