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What were Donald Trump's SAT or admission test scores when he applied to Wharton?
Executive summary
Available sources show no public, verifiable record of Donald Trump’s SAT or other college-admission test scores; Michael Cohen testified that Trump directed letters threatening schools and the College Board to keep those records secret [1]. Reporting and fact‑checks note Trump graduated from Wharton without honors and that Cohen produced copies of such letters, but they do not publish specific SAT numbers [2] [1].
1. What the records and reporting say — silence, plus a claim of suppression
News reports cite Michael Cohen’s claim that, at Trump’s direction, letters were sent to his high schools, colleges and the College Board threatening legal consequences if grades or SAT scores were released; Cohen attached copies of those letters to his testimony [1]. That allegation—if accurate—helps explain why contemporary or university records have not been publicly disclosed, but the underlying scores themselves are not published in these reports [1].
2. What independent research and fact‑checking have found — no published scores
Journalists and fact‑checkers repeatedly note there are no public details of Trump’s SAT or similar admission test scores in their examined records; reporting emphasizes Trump's graduation from high school and from the Wharton School but does not cite any specific SAT numbers [1]. In short: investigators report absence of disclosed scores rather than finding a definitive numeric result [1].
3. Context on claims about academic standing at Wharton
Several outlets have analyzed Trump’s academic claims about Wharton and found he did not graduate “first in his class”; reporting indicates he graduated without honors, and some pieces explain how Wharton determines honors (GPA threshold cited in analysis) while noting transfer status can complicate honors eligibility [2]. That reporting addresses Trump’s overall academic record but does not convert into published admission-test scores [2].
4. Allegations about impropriety in the application process
Longstanding anecdotes appear in reporting—such as claims Trump worried his GPA would hinder admission and allegedly had someone else take an exam for him in high school—but the pieces provided here present those items as reported anecdotes rather than as proven, documented facts about his SATs [3]. Available sources do not publish corroborated SAT numbers or definitive proof of test‑taking irregularities tied to his college applications [3].
5. Why the absence of SAT scores matters and what it does not prove
The lack of public SAT records can reflect privacy protections, deliberate legal threats to institutions (as alleged by Cohen), or simple archival gaps; it is not, on its own, proof of wrongdoing or of a particular score. Cohen’s assertion that letters were sent to prevent disclosure is a factual claim in the record and explains why researchers say there are “no public details” [1]. Conversely, absence of published scores does not establish whether Trump’s scores were high, low, or average—available sources do not mention any specific numeric score.
6. Competing interpretations and motives to note
Michael Cohen’s testimony frames Trump as actively suppressing records; that supports a narrative that disclosure was intentionally blocked [1]. Other reporting focuses on how Trump has long publicized claims of academic distinction while official honors records contradict some of those claims [2]. Readers should weigh Cohen’s motives and credibility (he was a former attorney and later adversary) against the concrete archival silence; both factors shape why public numbers remain unavailable [1] [2].
7. Bottom line for researchers and journalists
There is no source among the provided materials that publishes Donald Trump’s SAT or admission test scores from his Wharton application; reporting documents the absence and cites Michael Cohen’s claim of threatening letters to block release, but does not provide a numeric score [1]. For anyone seeking a definitive number, the record in these sources is silent—further primary‑source releases from institutions or the College Board, or corroborated documentation, would be required to resolve the question [1].
Limitations: This analysis relies solely on the supplied sources; they report no published SAT scores and present Cohen’s claims and analyses about academic honors and suppression [1] [2] [3]. Available sources do not mention any specific SAT numeric results.