How do schools do SAT scores?

Apologies if this has already been brought up - please link me if it has. I have not seen anything about it posted.

The new SAT is a little bit easier than the old SAT according to the college board’s concordance tables which has me wondering how colleges look at SAT scores for the class of 2021 since they will be receiving both old and new SAT scores.

Do they just ignore the difference, or do they convert old to new and look at new only?

I understand that colleges might do it differently but I want to know what the majority of them, as well as the ivies, are doing.

Most schools are probably using the conversion chart used by the college board (SAT company) since they have already accounted for the difference. Along with that they are looking for where you fall in the percentile of your score, like are you in the 50th or 90th percentile.

@cmmking98 Well the percentiles are the same for my score, but you’re saying that they take the old SAT and convert it to new with the tables, right? Because on the old SAT I got a 2350 and on the new one I have a 1580 (CR+M+W) or 1590 (CR+M) which looks a little better. I’m sure it’s not enough to make any real difference but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.

There is no difference. You already said the percentiles are the same.

@“Erin’s Dad” but the percentiles are both 99 for a 2250 and 2400 and those are very different

@yousefk Honestly, both your scores are great. It wouldn’t make any difference in your acceptance I believe.

Truth is no one knows what the majority of colleges, including the ivies, will actually do for the simple reason that they have never done anything yet with the new SAT since this fall is the first time it will be considered for persons applying to college and they are not making public what they intend to do. Some may rely on conversion charts put out by CB but some may view those as not controlling because there has not yet been enough test administrations of the new SAT to really create reliable concordance tables between the old and new test. Some may create their own comparison charts from applications received. You won’t be able to figure out how they have possibly compared the two tests until likely next year when they provide middle 50% and average test scores for those admitted.

While some on CC focus on how high they can get, and now some are worried how their new and old scores compare, top adcoms will likely just look for a threshold. Trying to figure out what looks a little better is a futile effort. By now, they’ve already looked at the concordance and have an idea what that threshold will be, for them.