Submitting scores questions

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain to me why people are saying they won't submit scores if they're not at least in the upper half of the 50th percentile? For example, for USC, where about 40% of kids don't submit scores, they won't submit a score unless it's in the upper half of the middle 50 (1490 – 1550). I'm just confused bc if you're in the range, why wouldn't you submit? Who are all the kids they are accepting that are in the bottom half of the 50 percentile? And please don't say VIPs, URM, donor kids, etc... those kids don't make up half the admitted students.

[Anonymous]

The complicated answer here is that to maintain or rise in US news rankings colleges want their SAT scores to be very high. They would rather admit a kid with no scores ( test optional) than admit a kid who’s going to drag down the average score. Anyone scoring below the 50th percentile drags down the average

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The complicated answer here is that to maintain or rise in US news rankings colleges want their SAT scores to be very high. They would rather admit a kid with no scores ( test optional) than admit a kid who’s going to drag down the average score. Anyone scoring below the 50th percentile drags down the average

Ok, that makes sense. I must be so nieve to think that surely not all colleges operate this way!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The complicated answer here is that to maintain or rise in US news rankings colleges want their SAT scores to be very high. They would rather admit a kid with no scores ( test optional) than admit a kid who’s going to drag down the average score. Anyone scoring below the 50th percentile drags down the average

Ok, that makes sense. I must be so nieve to think that surely not all colleges operate this way!

I personally think it’s only a few colleges that are doing this. The strivers like Vandy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The complicated answer here is that to maintain or rise in US news rankings colleges want their SAT scores to be very high. They would rather admit a kid with no scores ( test optional) than admit a kid who’s going to drag down the average score. Anyone scoring below the 50th percentile drags down the average

Ok, that makes sense. I must be so nieve to think that surely not all colleges operate this way!

I personally think it’s only a few colleges that are doing this. The strivers like Vandy.

I mean Vandy is a striver and plays this game. They basically tell kids with scores below 1520 not to report them. Sorry if that wasn’t clear. I don’t think many schools are doing that.

[Anonymous]

Yes, and everything else tells us that colleges are wanting to see scores, even if they might be lower. Honestly, I don't know how we're going to play this game well.

[Anonymous]

I've said it here before, but US News only counts SAT scores as part of their ranking if more than 50 percent of students submit. If fewer than 50 percent do, US News double counts graduation rates. So a college that does better comparatively on the graduation metric might have incentives to keep score submission low.

I assume most colleges aren't playing this 13-dimensional chess, however. They just think that higher scores make them look good and that most people won't bother to consider the percentage of students not submitting.

For the record, my kid is submitting test scores to a couple of schools where they are at the lower end of the range based on the following considerations: 1) applying to a less competitive program within the college that likely has lower average SAT scores; 2) balancing a weakness in the transcript; 3) general vibes and signals from the admissions office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've said it here before, but US News only counts SAT scores as part of their ranking if more than 50 percent of students submit. If fewer than 50 percent do, US News double counts graduation rates. So a college that does better comparatively on the graduation metric might have incentives to keep score submission low.

I assume most colleges aren't playing this 13-dimensional chess, however. They just think that higher scores make them look good and that most people won't bother to consider the percentage of students not submitting.

For the record, my kid is submitting test scores to a couple of schools where they are at the lower end of the range based on the following considerations: 1) applying to a less competitive program within the college that likely has lower average SAT scores; 2) balancing a weakness in the transcript; 3) general vibes and signals from the admissions office.

Thanks for sharing. This is our thought process with our kid and his scores which fall on the lower end for his high reach schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've said it here before, but US News only counts SAT scores as part of their ranking if more than 50 percent of students submit. If fewer than 50 percent do, US News double counts graduation rates. So a college that does better comparatively on the graduation metric might have incentives to keep score submission low.

I assume most colleges aren't playing this 13-dimensional chess, however. They just think that higher scores make them look good and that most people won't bother to consider the percentage of students not submitting.

For the record, my kid is submitting test scores to a couple of schools where they are at the lower end of the range based on the following considerations: 1) applying to a less competitive program within the college that likely has lower average SAT scores; 2) balancing a weakness in the transcript; 3) general vibes and signals from the admissions office.

Thanks for sharing. This is our thought process with our kid and his scores which fall on the lower end for his high reach schools.

The other thing to consider is: If you don’t submit scores, what is the school going to *think* your kid’s score was? Probably worse than it actually is. So if it is at all in range, send unless — it’s a school like Vandy that telegraphs it doesn’t want to see those scores.

[Anonymous]

Just take a look at schools that are NOT test optional. Their middle 50 percent is lower. TO is the way the colleges manipulate the rankings.

[Anonymous]

Recently did a virtual session with Tulane. The AO flat out said do not submit if lower than 1420 because they don’t want a lower score reflected in their stats. Ridiculous to admit this. Clear rigging for rankings.

[Anonymous]

Our kid submitted a 32 ACT everywhere last year and was accepted to two reach schools where the middle 50 percent was 33-35. We heard the don’t submit as well and I’m so glad he didn’t follow the advice!