Admission Statistics

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SAT scores

SAT scores have been used by colleges for a long time as part of the admissions process. Students generally get to choose whether to write the SAT or ACT, since many colleges accept either. But the SAT remains the most popular entrance exam.

Colleges use SAT scores as part of the process through which they decide whether or not to admit you. More selective colleges tend to admit only applicants who have relatively high SAT scores. As you browse admission statistics, you can get a better idea of what standards different colleges have by taking note of the 25th and 75th percentile. The 25th percentile score means that 25% of applicants scored at or below this level. The 75th percentile score represents the score that 25% of applicants met or exceeded.

So, if you’re applying to Harvard with an SAT math score of 650, and Harvard has 25th/75th percentile scores of 700 and 790 (as it currently does), then you can see that your tests scores put you at the lower end of the spectrum for admitted Harvard applicants. This does not mean that you will not get in, but it suggests that there will likely need to be something else in you application that makes you seem exceptional in Harvard’s eyes. This could be a well-developed talent or unusual dedication to an extracurricular activity.

The SAT exam contains Critical Reading, Math, and Writing sections. You can score anywhere from 200 to 800 on each section - which means that a perfect score would be 2400. But average scores of all test-takes are much lower than this - the average for each section is in the area of 500. The SAT is a test of knowledge and skills students should be learning in high school: reading, writing and math. But it is not a test of logic or abstract thinking. In the critical reading section, you must read passages with comprehension and are required to carry out sentence completions. In the writing section, you must compose a short essay and and respond to questions relating to English composition. And in the math section you will need to demonstrate skills relating to arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics and probability.

ACT scores

ACT scores are, like SAT scores, among the factors that colleges can take into consideration in making their decision about whether to admit you. Some students prefer to submit ACT scores - particularly if they feel they will do better on the ACT than they would on the SAT. There are four elements of the ACT test: English Language, Math, Reading, Science. The maximum score you can achieve on any particular section is 36. The “ACT composite” is the average of all your scores. Of all the students who take the ACT, the average composite score tends to be in the area of 21. There is also a writing section which students can take on the ACT, which is scored out of 12 - with an average score for test-takers being around 7. For students who took the ACT with writing, the writing section is scored on a 12-point scale. The average score is between 7 and 8. At selective colleges, it is unsurprising that successful applicants will tend to have very high ACT scores. At Harvard, for example, the 25th/75th percentile scores for the math component of the ACT are 31 and 35. Again, if you are applying to Harvard with an ACT math score below 31, you should be sure that your application stands out on some other grounds. But don’t forget that colleges like Harvard get an abundance of applicants who not only have high test scores, but also high GPAs and stellar extracurricular profiles.

The ACT math section tests knowledge and skills you have gained in their math education prior to 12th grade. The reading section tests your reading comprehension. The science section tests your ability to problem-solve, and analyze and reason in the area of science. The writing test is optional. If you decide to take it, then you are assessed on your writing ability.

Acceptance Rate

Another key admission statistic is a college’s acceptance rate. This can give you an idea of your chances of getting in to a college. But be sure to take acceptance rate with a grain of salt. Many factors can affect a college’s acceptance rate, including the degree to which applicants “self-select.” That is, at a college which has a reputation for high selectivity, the applicant pool as a whole might be more qualified, and less qualified applicants might be hesitant to apply. So the acceptance rate would be the percentage of already well-qualified applicants who get in. It is also often in colleges’ interests to present themselves as highly selective, and this is something that can be borne out in recruiting practices.

Number of Applicants

The number of applicants a college receives gives an indication of how popular a college is. This does not always give a general indication of a college’s reputation, but it can be useful in helping you to know how many applicants feel positively enough about the college to apply.