Reported Stats of ACT/SAT mid-50%

Applying to College
1

I keep seeing universities report that their either enrolled or admitted applicants are 32-34 ACT mid-50%. Some may say 31-34. A couple will say 31-35.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but then you are saying 25% of you admits or enrollees are 35 or 36.

Here is the thing I just don’t think there are enough 35s & 36s to go around. I do understand a student might only take the SAT or only the ACT.

I saw the class of HS 2017 ACT results. It is published. Just over 15K kids made a 35 or 36. Maybe add 2-4K kids who didn’t get the ACT 35 or 36, but did comparable on the SAT. At most you are looking at a pool of 20K kids. There are like 20-25 colleges reporting that their mid 50% tops out at 34 ACT. I don’t think there are enough to go around.

I think there is some fuzzy math going on there.

2

OK. You are wrong.

No, actually, you are not say that. A 34 could both in the mid 50th percentile and in the 25th percentile.

I would not look for any conspiracy theories here.

3

I think the numbers you are reporting are for top 20 colleges. They are all private colleges, with an average enrollment of no more than 2000. So, if students will a score of 35 or 36 form 25% of the class, that is still 10,000 total matriculating students. This is well less than all kids who get 35 or 36 in ACT in one year. Then you have kids getting equivalent SAT scores.

More of the story is students with 35 or 36 getting rejected from each of the top 20 schools – especially if any other part of their application is not up to the mark.