SAT distribution for top colleges--see how they hoover up the top scorers, leaving crumbs for the rest

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:USC's median is not 1480. It is 1520. That is not really up for debate. USC's reported it in Section C of their CDS.

Thats not how you calculate the median, you dont just add the two numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The consensus is that at between 1% to 1.5% of all test takers, including super scorers, score above 1530. There were approximately 1.97 million test takers according to the college board. 19,700 to 29,500 SAT takers scored above 1530.

Data is based mostly on 2024-2025. SAT above 1530:
Harvard: 54% submitted an SAT (892 students). 65% scored above 1530. 580 students
Yale: 61% submitted an SAT (950 students). 50% scored above 1530. 475 students
Princeton: 56% submitted an SAT (783 students). 50% scored above 1530. 391 students
Columbia: Those applying to Columbia know why it isn't here
Brown: 61% submitted an SAT (1,046 students). 40% scored above a 1530. 418 students
Cornell: 44.9% submitted an SAT (1,583 students). 35% scored above a 1530. 554 students
Dartmouth: (2020 data) Dartmouth as you know started to hid its SAT scores post-covid. 57% submitted an SAT. 682 students. 30% score above a 1530. 204 students
UPenn: 50% submitted an SAT. 1,204 students. 80% scored above a 1530. 963 students.
MIT: 83% submitted an SAT. 918 students. 65% scored above 1530. 596 students
Stanford: 50% submitted an SAT. 857 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 514 students
Caltech: Pre-covid: 79% submitted an SAT. 186 students 75% scored above a 1530. 140 students.
Duke: 47% submitted an SAT. 824 students. 65% scored above a 1530. 535 students
Rice: 48% submitted an SAT score. 546 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 262 students.
Northwestern: 46% submitted an SAT score. 963 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 529 students.
Georgetown: 78% submitted an SAT score. 1232 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 369 students.
Notre Dame: 684 submitted an SAT score. 30% scored above a 1530. 205 students.
Vanderbilt: 27% submitted an SAT score. 447 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 268 students.
Emory: 43% submitted an SAT score. 623 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 186 students.
WashU: 29% submitted an SAT score. 538 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 322 students.
Johns Hopkins 50% submitted an SAT score. 691 students. 75% scored above a 1530. 518 students
NYU: 28% submitted an SAT score. 1598 students. 35% scored above a 1530. 559 students.
Georgia Tech: 77% submitted an SAT score. 2,966 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 741 students.
USC: 30% submitted an SAT score. 1044 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 574 students.
Illinois: 41% submitted an SAT score. 3,719 students. 15% scored above a 1530. 550 students.
UMichigan: 51% submitted an SAT score. 3,697 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 924 students.
Tufts: 38% submitted an SAT score. 687 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 206 students
Northeastern: 24% submitted an SAT score. 653 students. 20% scored above a 1530. 130 students
Boston University: 33% submitted an SAT score. 1,093 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 273 students
Boston College: 28% submitted an SAT score. 662 students. 20% scored above a 1530. 132 students.
Univ of Washington: 1,069 submitted an SAT score. 10% scored above 1530. 106 students
UVA: 45% submitted an SAT score. 1,805 students. 15% scored above a 1530. 270 students.
UNC: 28% submitted an SAT score. 1,320 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 330 students.
Williams College: 35% submitted an SAT score. 190 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 104 students.
Amherst College. 39% submitted an SAT score. 187 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 103 students

Pomona, Harvey Mudd, Claremont-McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps: Average about 50-75 students each who score above 1530. Purdue's SAT 75% is only 1470, but 9000 submitted an SAT. I estimate that at least 500 students there have an SAT above 1530. 200-250 total.

This figure doesn't include those SAT scorers above 1530 who enroll at UC Berkeley or UCLA. Pre-covid, combined they had about 2,500 SAT scorers above 1530.

Chances are very good that if you scored above 1530 on an SAT you are attending one of these colleges.

Key thing to realize (most have trouble with this) is that someone with a 1480 is not that much different than someone with a 1530/1550. So you look at the whole package.

Just go to work, take a poll of your coworkers at same level, and level above and ask them their SAT scores. Bet you will find it has no correlation to who is the best employee or coworker to work with.

Is the Scholastic Assessment Test not the Coworker Assessment Test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC has a 35 (not a superscore, if that matters) on the ACT. Maybe they should add a few top 20 schools. I figured the acceptance rates are so low it would be a wasted application. Applied to several on the list in the 20-30 range.

They should only apply to T20 if those schools interest them and are a good fit. Why apply places you don't actually want to attend? People need to stop chasing prestige and let their kids find the "right" school for them.

That’s easy to say, but the whole thesis of this thread is that schools outside the T20 can’t provide an academic peer group for high-scoring students, and therefore can’t be a good fit.

[Anonymous]

I saw this on Reddit a couple weeks ago. Lots of data problems were pointed out, but the original contention was that about half (or a little less) were at these schools. Different than what is portrayed here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC has a 35 (not a superscore, if that matters) on the ACT. Maybe they should add a few top 20 schools. I figured the acceptance rates are so low it would be a wasted application. Applied to several on the list in the 20-30 range.

They should only apply to T20 if those schools interest them and are a good fit. Why apply places you don't actually want to attend? People need to stop chasing prestige and let their kids find the "right" school for them.

That’s easy to say, but the whole thesis of this thread is that schools outside the T20 can’t provide an academic peer group for high-scoring students, and therefore can’t be a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC has a 35 (not a superscore, if that matters) on the ACT. Maybe they should add a few top 20 schools. I figured the acceptance rates are so low it would be a wasted application. Applied to several on the list in the 20-30 range.

They should only apply to T20 if those schools interest them and are a good fit. Why apply places you don't actually want to attend? People need to stop chasing prestige and let their kids find the "right" school for them.

That’s easy to say, but the whole thesis of this thread is that schools outside the T20 can’t provide an academic peer group for high-scoring students, and therefore can’t be a good fit.

I am too old to understand what people who communicate in emojis are trying to convey. The fact is the country is full of high-scoring kids who can’t afford and/or don’t want elite schools. The OP’s attempt to “prove” that those kids don’t exist is not exactly bulletproof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC has a 35 (not a superscore, if that matters) on the ACT. Maybe they should add a few top 20 schools. I figured the acceptance rates are so low it would be a wasted application. Applied to several on the list in the 20-30 range.

They should only apply to T20 if those schools interest them and are a good fit. Why apply places you don't actually want to attend? People need to stop chasing prestige and let their kids find the "right" school for them.

That’s easy to say, but the whole thesis of this thread is that schools outside the T20 can’t provide an academic peer group for high-scoring students, and therefore can’t be a good fit.

I am too old to understand what people who communicate in emojis are trying to convey. The fact is the country is full of high-scoring kids who can’t afford and/or don’t want elite schools. The OP’s attempt to “prove” that those kids don’t exist is not exactly bulletproof.

I’m impressed that you are able to use a computer at all! Good job! 👏

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC has a 35 (not a superscore, if that matters) on the ACT. Maybe they should add a few top 20 schools. I figured the acceptance rates are so low it would be a wasted application. Applied to several on the list in the 20-30 range.

They should only apply to T20 if those schools interest them and are a good fit. Why apply places you don't actually want to attend? People need to stop chasing prestige and let their kids find the "right" school for them.

That’s easy to say, but the whole thesis of this thread is that schools outside the T20 can’t provide an academic peer group for high-scoring students, and therefore can’t be a good fit.

I am too old to understand what people who communicate in emojis are trying to convey. The fact is the country is full of high-scoring kids who can’t afford and/or don’t want elite schools. The OP’s attempt to “prove” that those kids don’t exist is not exactly bulletproof.

I’m impressed that you are able to use a computer at all! Good job! 👏

🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC has a 35 (not a superscore, if that matters) on the ACT. Maybe they should add a few top 20 schools. I figured the acceptance rates are so low it would be a wasted application. Applied to several on the list in the 20-30 range.

They should only apply to T20 if those schools interest them and are a good fit. Why apply places you don't actually want to attend? People need to stop chasing prestige and let their kids find the "right" school for them.

That’s easy to say, but the whole thesis of this thread is that schools outside the T20 can’t provide an academic peer group for high-scoring students, and therefore can’t be a good fit.

I am too old to understand what people who communicate in emojis are trying to convey. The fact is the country is full of high-scoring kids who can’t afford and/or don’t want elite schools. The OP’s attempt to “prove” that those kids don’t exist is not exactly bulletproof.

I’m impressed that you are able to use a computer at all! Good job! 👏

🙄

Now you’re getting it? WTG!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The consensus is that at between 1% to 1.5% of all test takers, including super scorers, score above 1530. There were approximately 1.97 million test takers according to the college board. 19,700 to 29,500 SAT takers scored above 1530.

Data is based mostly on 2024-2025. SAT above 1530:
Harvard: 54% submitted an SAT (892 students). 65% scored above 1530. 580 students
Yale: 61% submitted an SAT (950 students). 50% scored above 1530. 475 students
Princeton: 56% submitted an SAT (783 students). 50% scored above 1530. 391 students
Columbia: Those applying to Columbia know why it isn't here
Brown: 61% submitted an SAT (1,046 students). 40% scored above a 1530. 418 students
Cornell: 44.9% submitted an SAT (1,583 students). 35% scored above a 1530. 554 students
Dartmouth: (2020 data) Dartmouth as you know started to hid its SAT scores post-covid. 57% submitted an SAT. 682 students. 30% score above a 1530. 204 students
UPenn: 50% submitted an SAT. 1,204 students. 80% scored above a 1530. 963 students.
MIT: 83% submitted an SAT. 918 students. 65% scored above 1530. 596 students
Stanford: 50% submitted an SAT. 857 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 514 students
Caltech: Pre-covid: 79% submitted an SAT. 186 students 75% scored above a 1530. 140 students.
Duke: 47% submitted an SAT. 824 students. 65% scored above a 1530. 535 students
Rice: 48% submitted an SAT score. 546 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 262 students.
Northwestern: 46% submitted an SAT score. 963 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 529 students.
Georgetown: 78% submitted an SAT score. 1232 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 369 students.
Notre Dame: 684 submitted an SAT score. 30% scored above a 1530. 205 students.
Vanderbilt: 27% submitted an SAT score. 447 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 268 students.
Emory: 43% submitted an SAT score. 623 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 186 students.
WashU: 29% submitted an SAT score. 538 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 322 students.
Johns Hopkins 50% submitted an SAT score. 691 students. 75% scored above a 1530. 518 students
NYU: 28% submitted an SAT score. 1598 students. 35% scored above a 1530. 559 students.
Georgia Tech: 77% submitted an SAT score. 2,966 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 741 students.
USC: 30% submitted an SAT score. 1044 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 574 students.
Illinois: 41% submitted an SAT score. 3,719 students. 15% scored above a 1530. 550 students.
UMichigan: 51% submitted an SAT score. 3,697 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 924 students.
Tufts: 38% submitted an SAT score. 687 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 206 students
Northeastern: 24% submitted an SAT score. 653 students. 20% scored above a 1530. 130 students
Boston University: 33% submitted an SAT score. 1,093 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 273 students
Boston College: 28% submitted an SAT score. 662 students. 20% scored above a 1530. 132 students.
Univ of Washington: 1,069 submitted an SAT score. 10% scored above 1530. 106 students
UVA: 45% submitted an SAT score. 1,805 students. 15% scored above a 1530. 270 students.
UNC: 28% submitted an SAT score. 1,320 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 330 students.
Williams College: 35% submitted an SAT score. 190 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 104 students.
Amherst College. 39% submitted an SAT score. 187 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 103 students

Pomona, Harvey Mudd, Claremont-McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps: Average about 50-75 students each who score above 1530. Purdue's SAT 75% is only 1470, but 9000 submitted an SAT. I estimate that at least 500 students there have an SAT above 1530. 200-250 total.

This figure doesn't include those SAT scorers above 1530 who enroll at UC Berkeley or UCLA. Pre-covid, combined they had about 2,500 SAT scorers above 1530.

Chances are very good that if you scored above 1530 on an SAT you are attending one of these colleges.

Don't know why "1530" became the cutoff.

1500 is pretty much the threshold.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The consensus is that at between 1% to 1.5% of all test takers, including super scorers, score above 1530. There were approximately 1.97 million test takers according to the college board. 19,700 to 29,500 SAT takers scored above 1530.

Data is based mostly on 2024-2025. SAT above 1530:
Harvard: 54% submitted an SAT (892 students). 65% scored above 1530. 580 students
Yale: 61% submitted an SAT (950 students). 50% scored above 1530. 475 students
Princeton: 56% submitted an SAT (783 students). 50% scored above 1530. 391 students
Columbia: Those applying to Columbia know why it isn't here
Brown: 61% submitted an SAT (1,046 students). 40% scored above a 1530. 418 students
Cornell: 44.9% submitted an SAT (1,583 students). 35% scored above a 1530. 554 students
Dartmouth: (2020 data) Dartmouth as you know started to hid its SAT scores post-covid. 57% submitted an SAT. 682 students. 30% score above a 1530. 204 students
UPenn: 50% submitted an SAT. 1,204 students. 80% scored above a 1530. 963 students.
MIT: 83% submitted an SAT. 918 students. 65% scored above 1530. 596 students
Stanford: 50% submitted an SAT. 857 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 514 students
Caltech: Pre-covid: 79% submitted an SAT. 186 students 75% scored above a 1530. 140 students.
Duke: 47% submitted an SAT. 824 students. 65% scored above a 1530. 535 students
Rice: 48% submitted an SAT score. 546 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 262 students.
Northwestern: 46% submitted an SAT score. 963 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 529 students.
Georgetown: 78% submitted an SAT score. 1232 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 369 students.
Notre Dame: 684 submitted an SAT score. 30% scored above a 1530. 205 students.
Vanderbilt: 27% submitted an SAT score. 447 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 268 students.
Emory: 43% submitted an SAT score. 623 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 186 students.
WashU: 29% submitted an SAT score. 538 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 322 students.
Johns Hopkins 50% submitted an SAT score. 691 students. 75% scored above a 1530. 518 students
NYU: 28% submitted an SAT score. 1598 students. 35% scored above a 1530. 559 students.
Georgia Tech: 77% submitted an SAT score. 2,966 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 741 students.
USC: 30% submitted an SAT score. 1044 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 574 students.
Illinois: 41% submitted an SAT score. 3,719 students. 15% scored above a 1530. 550 students.
UMichigan: 51% submitted an SAT score. 3,697 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 924 students.
Tufts: 38% submitted an SAT score. 687 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 206 students
Northeastern: 24% submitted an SAT score. 653 students. 20% scored above a 1530. 130 students
Boston University: 33% submitted an SAT score. 1,093 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 273 students
Boston College: 28% submitted an SAT score. 662 students. 20% scored above a 1530. 132 students.
Univ of Washington: 1,069 submitted an SAT score. 10% scored above 1530. 106 students
UVA: 45% submitted an SAT score. 1,805 students. 15% scored above a 1530. 270 students.
UNC: 28% submitted an SAT score. 1,320 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 330 students.
Williams College: 35% submitted an SAT score. 190 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 104 students.
Amherst College. 39% submitted an SAT score. 187 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 103 students

Pomona, Harvey Mudd, Claremont-McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps: Average about 50-75 students each who score above 1530. Purdue's SAT 75% is only 1470, but 9000 submitted an SAT. I estimate that at least 500 students there have an SAT above 1530. 200-250 total.

This figure doesn't include those SAT scorers above 1530 who enroll at UC Berkeley or UCLA. Pre-covid, combined they had about 2,500 SAT scorers above 1530.

Chances are very good that if you scored above 1530 on an SAT you are attending one of these colleges.

Don't know why "1530" became the cutoff.

1500 is pretty much the threshold.

I think because 1530 is the bottom of the top 1% of SAT-takers. A lot of this analysis is based on the assumption that the number of students colleges can report as scoring 1530+ (a number that includes superscorers) is equal to the top 1% of SAT-takers according to College Board (a number that does not include superscorers).

[Anonymous]

Get a life.

[Anonymous]

My 1590 kiddo goes to UMD for CS with merit. NMS. Probably did not even apply to these schools. .

Yeah, but MIT rejected him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 1590 kiddo goes to UMD for CS with merit. NMS. Probably did not even apply to these schools. .

Yeah, but MIT rejected him.

Ah, looked at the list. He applied to 4 of the colleges and got into 3. But not MIT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The consensus is that at between 1% to 1.5% of all test takers, including super scorers, score above 1530. There were approximately 1.97 million test takers according to the college board. 19,700 to 29,500 SAT takers scored above 1530.

Data is based mostly on 2024-2025. SAT above 1530:
Harvard: 54% submitted an SAT (892 students). 65% scored above 1530. 580 students
Yale: 61% submitted an SAT (950 students). 50% scored above 1530. 475 students
Princeton: 56% submitted an SAT (783 students). 50% scored above 1530. 391 students
Columbia: Those applying to Columbia know why it isn't here
Brown: 61% submitted an SAT (1,046 students). 40% scored above a 1530. 418 students
Cornell: 44.9% submitted an SAT (1,583 students). 35% scored above a 1530. 554 students
Dartmouth: (2020 data) Dartmouth as you know started to hid its SAT scores post-covid. 57% submitted an SAT. 682 students. 30% score above a 1530. 204 students
UPenn: 50% submitted an SAT. 1,204 students. 80% scored above a 1530. 963 students.
MIT: 83% submitted an SAT. 918 students. 65% scored above 1530. 596 students
Stanford: 50% submitted an SAT. 857 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 514 students
Caltech: Pre-covid: 79% submitted an SAT. 186 students 75% scored above a 1530. 140 students.
Duke: 47% submitted an SAT. 824 students. 65% scored above a 1530. 535 students
Rice: 48% submitted an SAT score. 546 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 262 students.
Northwestern: 46% submitted an SAT score. 963 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 529 students.
Georgetown: 78% submitted an SAT score. 1232 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 369 students.
Notre Dame: 684 submitted an SAT score. 30% scored above a 1530. 205 students.
Vanderbilt: 27% submitted an SAT score. 447 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 268 students.
Emory: 43% submitted an SAT score. 623 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 186 students.
WashU: 29% submitted an SAT score. 538 students. 60% scored above a 1530. 322 students.
Johns Hopkins 50% submitted an SAT score. 691 students. 75% scored above a 1530. 518 students
NYU: 28% submitted an SAT score. 1598 students. 35% scored above a 1530. 559 students.
Georgia Tech: 77% submitted an SAT score. 2,966 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 741 students.
USC: 30% submitted an SAT score. 1044 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 574 students.
Illinois: 41% submitted an SAT score. 3,719 students. 15% scored above a 1530. 550 students.
UMichigan: 51% submitted an SAT score. 3,697 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 924 students.
Tufts: 38% submitted an SAT score. 687 students. 30% scored above a 1530. 206 students
Northeastern: 24% submitted an SAT score. 653 students. 20% scored above a 1530. 130 students
Boston University: 33% submitted an SAT score. 1,093 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 273 students
Boston College: 28% submitted an SAT score. 662 students. 20% scored above a 1530. 132 students.
Univ of Washington: 1,069 submitted an SAT score. 10% scored above 1530. 106 students
UVA: 45% submitted an SAT score. 1,805 students. 15% scored above a 1530. 270 students.
UNC: 28% submitted an SAT score. 1,320 students. 25% scored above a 1530. 330 students.
Williams College: 35% submitted an SAT score. 190 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 104 students.
Amherst College. 39% submitted an SAT score. 187 students. 55% scored above a 1530. 103 students

Pomona, Harvey Mudd, Claremont-McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps: Average about 50-75 students each who score above 1530. Purdue's SAT 75% is only 1470, but 9000 submitted an SAT. I estimate that at least 500 students there have an SAT above 1530. 200-250 total.

This figure doesn't include those SAT scorers above 1530 who enroll at UC Berkeley or UCLA. Pre-covid, combined they had about 2,500 SAT scorers above 1530.

Chances are very good that if you scored above 1530 on an SAT you are attending one of these colleges.

using the # of high scorers(above 1530) as a % of total incoming freshman class,
The winners, Ranked by the highest % of 1530+ are:

MIT, 593/1106=53%
Caltech 140/263= 53%
Penn, 963/2421=40%
Hopkins 518/1418=36%
Harvard 580/1647=35%
Duke 535/1740 = 30.7%
Yale 475/1551=30.6%
Stanford 514/1693 = 30.3
Princeton 391/1411=27%
Northwestern 529/2100=25%
Brown 418/1768= 24%
Georgetown 369/1600=23%

All of the rest on the OP's list are under 20%, including Dartmouth at 17%, Cornell at 16%, UVA at 7%