Numbers and Psychology

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>I recently did this little survey with SAT scores and class ranks.</p>

<p>Basically, I asked 20 top-notch students in my town what they thought about certain ranks and SAT scores when compared to each other.</p>

<p>Here are a few things:</p>

<p>--When I asked each one about varying SAT scores (I asked them to give me the best elitist attitude they could), they seemed to categorize individual section scores like so:</p>

<p>Below 600: Crappy
600-640: Not good enough for HYPSM etc.
650-690: Decent, but nothing special
700-740: Awesome scores
750+: Top-notch</p>

<p>Based on their answers, there seemed to be a big difference between a 690 and a 700, but virtually no difference between a 710 and a 730...??!!?!?!?!?!?!</p>

<p>Similarly, they all kinda beamed towards vals, nodded their heads slightly at sals, and kinda dismissed 3rd rank (out of a class of 400).</p>

<p>So I'm curious, is there some psychological influence that you see between a 690 and a 700? Or a valedictorian and the person ranked 3rd?</p>

2

<p>As for the val/sal thing, personal observations don't seem to agree. People in my school who are val often get rejected where sal gets accepted. Similarly, val/sal get rejected where people ranking 1-10 (in class of 725 or so) get accepted.</p>

3

<p>Well, it's kind of like prices for things. People don't really see something as say $4.99, they see it as $4. That's why you see prices that are $4.99 instead of $5.00. So, yeah, I would say there is a psychological difference between a 700 and a 690. All they "see" is the 7 and 6.</p>

4

<p>CRAP!!! Stupid 680 CR! I hope adcoms can see through that</p>

5

<p>like a b plus and an a minus. i was 7 points away in one of my classes this quarter. oh well.</p>