Fact check: What were Donald Trump's SAT scores for Wharton School admission?

1. Summary of the results

Donald Trump's actual SAT scores for Wharton School admission are not publicly available and have never been disclosed. All sources consistently report that Trump's SAT scores remain unknown, despite multiple investigations and reporting efforts spanning several years.

The key findings include:

• Trump actively prevented disclosure of his academic records - He directed his attorney Michael Cohen to threaten his colleges and high school against releasing his grades or test scores ^{[1] [2]}
• Wharton University declined to release records that would explain the decision to accept Trump or provide his grade transcripts ^[3]
• Allegations of SAT cheating exist but are unverified - Trump's niece Mary Trump alleged in her book that Trump paid someone to take the SAT on his behalf ^{[4] [5] [6]}
• Trump received assistance in admission - He got "an important assist from a close friend of his family" in getting into Wharton ^[7]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual factors are missing from the original question:

• Wharton's admission standards were different in Trump's era - The school accepted more than half of its applicants when Trump was admitted, making admission significantly easier than today's standards ^[7]
• Trump transferred to Wharton as a junior - He didn't complete his entire undergraduate education there, having transferred from Fordham University ^[3]
• Legal threats were used to suppress academic records - This suggests either Trump had something to hide or wanted to maintain privacy around his academic performance ^{[2] [1]}
• Wharton professors themselves called for investigation - Faculty members demanded a probe into the cheating allegations, indicating institutional concern about the claims ^{[4] [6]}

Those who benefit from keeping Trump's SAT scores secret include Trump himself and his political supporters, as poor scores could undermine his claims of academic excellence and intelligence. Conversely, Trump's political opponents would benefit from disclosure if the scores were below expectations or if cheating allegations were proven true.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself contains no misinformation, as it simply asks for factual information. However, the question's framing assumes that Trump's SAT scores are knowable or have been disclosed, when in fact:

• The scores have been deliberately concealed through legal threats and institutional non-disclosure ^{[2] [1]}
• Unverified allegations of cheating exist that would make any reported scores potentially fraudulent anyway ^{[4] [5] [6]}
• The question ignores the broader context of how Trump gained admission to Wharton, which involved family connections rather than purely merit-based selection ^[7]

The persistent secrecy around these records, combined with active legal efforts to prevent their release, suggests that the scores either don't exist in Trump's name (if the cheating allegations are true) or would be politically damaging if revealed.