<p>On many college websites I have seen an SAT score range in the common data set and then another SAT score range on the admissions website that differed from the one in the common data set. For every school, the common data set's SAT score range is lower than the one on the admissions website. Both ranges are from the same year. Which range is the more accurate SAT score range?</p>
<p>I’d have to say the common data set is more accurate. If you look at JHU’s 2009 common data set vs. their 2010 score range, you’ll see that the averages are 2090 and approx. 2220. 2008 and earlier, JHU’s SAT averages were all in the 2100 range and USNWR’s reported SAT averages were always near 1400 (CR+M), which is about 2100 with writing since writing averages don’t differ from CR averages too much. It’s highly unlikely that JHU’s average SAT score will skyrocket 130 points in a year. By this trend, JHU’s average SAT score would be well past 2300 in a few years, way past the average of Harvard, Stanford or Yale.</p>
<p>Therefore, use the common data set as reference.</p>
<p>why is there such a big difference?</p>