<p>When a college's site says</p>
<p>25th - 75th
blah - blah</p>
<p>what does it really mean? Certainly, the 25th isn't what a student can expect good odds with, but is 75th an accurate indicator of "at least" or "enough to be competitive"?</p>
<p>It’s really hard to simplify but this is the way that I interpret it:</p>
<p>25th percentile and below: Reserved for applicants with significant “hooks” (URM, recruited athlete, etc.)</p>
<p>Between 25th percentile and 75th percentile: Solid, but you should try to lean towards the 75th percentile</p>
<p>75th percentile and above: You’re in good shape</p>
<p>However, it is important to note that SAT score percentiles are usually organized by subsection rather than composite. </p>
<p>I’ll use Pomona College for Example here:
CR: 690 - 760
M: 690 - 780
W: 690 - 780</p>
<p>If you were to just add up the scores, you would get something that looks like this:
2070 - 2320</p>
<p>However, a better way to judge your SAT score in the context of the school is to look at the schools ACT composite range because that isn’t broken down by subsection. For Pomona, the range is:
31 - 34</p>
<p>So a better way to interpret Pomona’s 25th-75th percentile is:
2060 - 2250</p>
<p>However, in order to be a TRULY competitive applicant, you should be above or close to the 75th percentile in every section of the SAT. </p>
<p>I hope I helped!</p>
<p>By “truly competitive”, do you mean “likely to have a good chance of getting in if everything checks out (not assuming top 25 school here)” or “likely to stand a chance?”</p>
<p>Keep in mind though that the admitted class is usually stronger (and thus more characteristic of admissions) than the enrolling class.</p>
<p>In the case of Pomona:</p>
<p>Admitted Class of 2018- similar to past admitted classes
Reading: 700-790 (mean: 731)
Math: 700-790 (mean: 735)
Writing: 710-800 (mean: 741)</p>
<p>Enrolling Class- ranges above, means:
Reading: 724
Math: 726
Writing: 727</p>
<p>@Yalchar I think that if you have solid ECs, a decent GPA, and a 75th percentile SAT, you could get into most schools that aren’t “lottery.”</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say that it’s a guarantee, but it certainly increases your chances. </p>