How are Middle 50% Test Scores Low?

Applying to College
21

<p>Yes, some athletes do come in above the median, they don’t need a tip, but they still get the nod because they are an athlete. I actually have no problem with that. But you have to admit, in both Div I and Div III, there are a slew of athletes would not be at their schools were it not for their prowess with a ball.</p>

<p>I’ll reserve judgement on whether legacies are the most qualified applicant pool, but it is a possibility due to the fact that smart kids tend to have smart kids. However, given that back in the day, admissions to Harvard et al were not always meritorious, the possibility exists that some not so bright people got in as well.</p>

22

<p>There’s nothing wrong with your score.
But… looking at that middle 50% score can be deceiving.
At some schools 50% or more of the applicants are “hooked” (URM, legacy, recruited athletes, etc.).</p>

<p>Very often these hooked applicants represent the bottom 50% of the accepted applicant pool when it comes to test scores. So the <em>minimum</em> score needed for an unhooked applicant is typically on the upper-end of the middle 50%.</p>