https://ndsmcobserver.com/2018/08/class-of-2022-increased-enrollment/
I am having trouble following this — ND rejected 66% of students scoring in the 99th percentile of the SAT, but “the middle 50 percent of the class scored between 1410 and 1540 on the SAT”
(I know the the mid-50% usually refers to the 25th through the 75th percentile).
“Of the incoming freshman class, 38 percent were ranked in the top 1 percent of their class, and the middle 50 percent of the class scored between 1410 and 1540 on the SAT or between 33 and 35 on the ACT.”
“Two-thirds of Notre Dame applicants with an SAT score between 1500 and 1600 or an ACT of 33-36 were not admitted.”
@havingfunismy The proportion admitted that scored 1500-1600 or 33-35 has no relevance to the middle 50 percentiles of enrolled students. Enrolled students are only a subset of those admitted and test scores for enrolled students are usually lower as a group. Some of the high-scoring admitted students chose not to attend.
Sadly it has become a right of passage for top schools to brag about how many top scores they rejected.
evergreen5: I agree that the enrolled students, as a group would have lower scores. However, I don’t understand why 66% of -applicants- that had SAT/ACT in the 99th percentile were rejected…
EDIT: that had SAT/ACT -scores- in the 99th percentile were rejected…
@havingfunismy Because admission is holistic. Top scores aren’t enough.
Note that the 99th percentile starts at SAT 1480 and 1410 is 96th percentile per the most recent release for Class of 2017. The difference between 1480 and 1410 is somewhere around 5-7 questions on the entire SAT, not an especially meaningful distinguishing factor.
(Hopefully College Board will release new percentiles in September for Class of 2018, but this is not a certainty.)
“Two-thirds of Notre Dame applicants with an ACT of 33-36 were not admitted.”
“Because admission is holistic. Top scores aren’t enough.”
Sure admissions are holistic – at ND and also at all other top 25 or so schools. Everything counts. But it is probably more accurate to say that, at this level of schools, a 98th or low 99th percentile score just isn’t a “top score.”
ND’s middle ACT range for admitted students is 33-35. So a 33 or 34 is an average or below average score.
Even though admissions are holistic, most of those 2/3 denies are going to be the lower scoring applicants for two reasons.
First, there’s many more 33/34 scores in the applicant pool. 15,000 kids nationally get a 35/36 per year. 47,000 kids get a 33/34 each year. Second, ND (and its peer schools) would be accepting a much higher percentage of the highest scoring kids.
Only ND knows the actual data, but I wouldn’t be surprised if ND admit rate for 36 scores (only 2,760 per year) is 5X the admit rate for 33 scores (27,000 per year).
The stat I didn’t see, but we were told, is that 14% of the class of 2021 would not have made it into the class of 2022.