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If you are going to set a score above a certain theshold as being irrelevant, I’d expect many colleges to set that level at least high enough to not negatively impact published test scores and their use in USNWR ranking, along with their perception among applying students and alumni. At ivy-type highly selective colleges, scores of 2250 generally will negatively impact some of the published 75th percentile scores . At HYPSM, this published score / USNWR ranking threshold is often above 2350. This fits with the Duke quote I listed earlier, where they mentioned that scores in the high 700s were required for the maximum rating in their test score evaluation category in 2010, which coincidentally fits with the range of Duke’s 75th percentile scores during that period.</p>
<p>That said, I’d expect highly selective holistic colleges consider the scores in the context of the full application, including ones that might summarize all test scores with a simple 1-10 numeric representation, rather than not considering anything besides a 1-10 numeric summary of all scores. For example, earlier in the thread I mentioned being admitted to selective colleges with a low test score sum. It’s not a coincidence that I was admitted as an engineering applicant with a far stronger math than verbal score. I’d expect that if had the same score sum, but reversed math and verbal (500 math / 800 verbal), I would have been rejected, as the colleges considered the scores in the context of my full application, including my prospective major, passions, achievements, etc. </p>