HYP - 75th percentiles for SATs?

Applying to College
1

<p>This is something I'm curious about. I know SAT scores are a small part of admissions, but the 75th percentile for these three schools are really high. After googling,</p>

<p>Harvard - 1590/1600, 2370/2400
Yale - 1580/1600, 2370/2400
Princeton - 1580/1600, 2380/2400</p>

<p>Are these correct? I received a 2330 in March (780 CR / 770 math / 780 writing). I'm definitely not retaking, but I'm a little disconcerted that I'm not even close to breaking the 75th percentile at the above schools (I'm unhooked). Are accepted applicants that academically strong?</p>

2

<p>Did you add up the 75th percentiles of each section to obtain those numbers? Because that’s not an accurate method and gives an inaccurate answer.</p>

3

<p>SAT scores are not as big of a factor in admissions as you think they are. Even for unhooked applicants.</p>

4

<p>They’re close. The CB gives the 75% level for H for fall 2009 as 1570 and 2350:</p>

<p>[College</a> Search - Harvard College - SAT®, AP®, CLEP®](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>

<p>Y is the same as what you posted:</p>

<p>[College</a> Search - Yale University - SAT®, AP®, CLEP®](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>By definition 25% of the accepted applicants are this strong or stronger.</p>

5

<p>

I suggest you break the 75th percentile scores if you do not have a hook because in order to have a fair chance of gaining admittance, you need to be at 80th percentile. And yes, the accepted applicants are actually that strong. I would suggest that you retake the SAT, because all of the schools that you listed superscore. So just bring that 770 in math to an 800, and you’ll have a 1580.</p>

6

<p>hotinpursuit, where did that quote come from?</p>

7

<p>I got it from another thread
Here’s the link: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/895561-admission-stats-2010-read-em-but-dont-weep-5.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/895561-admission-stats-2010-read-em-but-dont-weep-5.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>christiansoldier-
I either hear that or that the SATs/ACTs in fact matters quite a bit.
I’m not sure what to believe anymore</p>

9

<p>Those schools all use holistic admissions. SATs play a part but are balanced against the rest of the app. If you are all GPA and SAT, no ECs or real interests, you have little chance of getting in.</p>

10

<p>Stats are not accurate. Overstated.</p>

11

<p>The quote by hotpursuit is at best to be considered conjecture, or at worse a form of cynicism.</p>

<p>To retake SATs for the purpose of lifting a 2330 score would be silly.</p>

12

<p>Agree with christiansoldier: scores aren’t the only thing. </p>

<p>Unhooked means you should still create a hook. A music guy? An artist? Someone with a passion for gaming: then start your own business. A passion for humor: then write a humor column in the school/local newspaper. A passion for theatre: take the star role for the school play and play Billy Eliot in a local community production. It’s more important that you tell your story about who you are and how you stand out.</p>

13

<p>Don’t retake. Your scores are great. They will help you, but there is no score that will mean you are an automatic admit. Write some great essays and apply to alot of schools (including a “safety”).</p>

14

<p>Read this: [MIT</a> Admissions | Blog Entry: “What’s the big deal about 40^2?”](<a href=“http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/standardized_test_requirements/whats_the_big_deal_about_402.shtml]MIT”>http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/apply/standardized_test_requirements/whats_the_big_deal_about_402.shtml)</p>

<p>If you had the time, I’d recommend reading a couple of books written by admissions officers. You’ll see that the most selective schools (Certainly HYPSM + top 6 LACs + a handfull more) really do read ALL of your application carefully, and take over 30 minutes to form a complete impression of you as a person – your test scores, each and every class you’ve taken, each and every EC, and each and every letter of rec, and especially the person you reveal in your essays. At the end, they have more than two or three times as many applicants as spots whom they think could thrive at their school based on academic, time management, and leadership/social skills. Then they choose whom they connect with as a person. Just like dating :)</p>

15

<p>Thanks for the replies. I just can’t justify retaking for a 20-30 point increase. I know I’m from an overrepresented state, Asian, and hookless. </p>

<p>I’m going to focus on my writing (my EC’s are mostly a mix of creative writing and cross country) and hope for the best. I don’t think I’d want to attend a school that rejected me over 50 points anyway. Though, it’s definitely scary to to know that 25% of the admitted class at HYP have SATs over 2350 :)</p>

16

<p>First of all, your math is seriously flaws.</p>

<p>You CAN’T just add up the 75th percentile for each section to determine the 75th overall percentile. The scores are reported independently: the 25% of students with CR 800s are in all likelihood not the same 25% with perfect math scores.</p>

<p>That being said, I’d recommend retaking. You can always improve.</p>

17

<p>^Ah, the website I checked only listed the combined 75th percentiles. I didn’t realize that they had added up the scores from each individual 75th percentile.</p>

<p>That makes me feel a little better.</p>

18

<p>It is a common reporting method to simply total the scores at each percentile (I do the same, as does USNWR), but it does not accurately represent the cumulative score total (unless the average (50th percentile) is taken). Given that students who score at or above 2350 are relatively rare – even when multiple sittings are superscored - it would be unreasonable to believe that Harvard is able to attract approximately 400 of them.</p>