<p>fallen:</p>
<p>I did some more research and apparently the error I made was on the use of the term, “average” which is entirely different from “mean” score. I am not a statistician or math whiz. My number of 1280, as reported to me by those with direct contact with admissions, turns out to be a rounded mean score, using their 50th percentile range of 1810-2020 last year (who entered in September 2010). I did the math over again, and I came up with a mean score of 1277. So I was off by 3 points and I apologize for that. </p>
<p>I dont think Fordham publishes anywhere (and they dont publish their stats publicly which they report to Dept of Educ, as some schools do), what the precise enrolled stats are. </p>
<p>But average is indeed just that, the average of ALL scores from lowest to highest, of those admitted, not just the select mean score from the 50th percentile range. I don’t precisely know how many are in the upper 25th percentile nor in the lower 25th percentile to give a precise mean score, because there may well be more kids at the upper end (a presumption, but more likely than not) than there are admitted in the lower 25th percentile, because the lower 25th has a greater likelihood of failure and withdrawal and it would be a fools errand to admit kids you think might fail. Not that kids with an 1150 or 1175 will necessarily fail, or be unable to attain high honors. In fact, I know someone at a prestigious southern school that is frequently touted her on CC who entered their college with an SAT below 1200 (1175 I think) and is set to graduate high honors…its amazing. So it can be done. </p>
<p>In any event, my claim of 1280 was honest based on what I was told, but it turns out to be a median score from the 50th percentile range of admitted students at Fordham (1277) and the actual precise median of ALL scores may be higher…perhaps that exact 1280 I presented.</p>
<p>I hope this resolves this misunderstanding. In any event, kids applying to Fordham now and in the future know that anything below a 1250/1600 SAT is problematic for them…its much better to be closer to 1300 than 1200. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>