Which median should i use to decide whether to submit SAT score. The SAT range for admitted students is usually higher than the SAT range for enrolled students. If the SAT is on low end of range for admitted students, but in middle of range of enrolled students, should i submit SAT score?
How much of a difference are you seeing? I’ve researched IPEDS and CDS data for about 45 colleges as part of my D’s research and see median differences of about 10 points, with one strong outlier.
What school do you see a score being at the low end (sub 25th?) of one but middle of the other?
these are the colleges - the first range of scores is from the CDS (enrolled students), the second range is from college website. The SAT we are considering to submit is 1350. as you can see, 1350 is in the CDS range. any advice would be helpful.
Boston College 1340-1470 1410-1520
Colgate 1340-1480 1370-1500
Villanova 1330-1460 1370-1500
Lehigh 1300-1430 1350-1480
these are the colleges - the first range of scores is from the CDS (enrolled students), the second range is from college website. The SAT we are considering to submit is 1350. as you can see, 1350 is in the CDS range. any advice would be helpful.
Boston College 1340-1470 1410-1520
Colgate 1340-1480 1370-1500
Villanova 1330-1460 1370-1500
Lehigh 1300-1430 1350-1480
Common wisdom is to be at the top of the range, or better. So BC, 1340-1470, you’d want to be up closer to 1470. A 1350 is below the (presumed) midpoint, 3rd quartile.
And it’s not SAT total. The individual scores matter. There isn’t always visibility to those results for colleges.
I wouldn’t submit a 1350 to any of those schools, it’s below the midpoint in every case. I can’t imagine it strengthens your app.
What does your HS GC recommend?
No, 1350 is below the midpoint of the lower of those 2 ranges for each school so I wouldn’t submit it.
These are more cases of what I’ve found to be mismatches between scores - usually the schools/department being “creative” with their scores whereas the CDS is cold, hard number crunchers providing accurate data, IMHO.