Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 12:37     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt said 1510 or above


Please don't post about what Vanderbilt says is a median or cutoff. They are in the TO and ED arena.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 12:34     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
Anonymous wrote:The Department of Education should ban the false advertising of high "average SAT scores" for schools that are test optional. It's outright lying.


Bingo.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 12:33     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
Anonymous wrote:Last cycle, Vanderbilt emissions officer told us as part of their August tours not to submit below a 34. “Don’t submit anything that you would not think improves your admission chances.”

33 is neutral and does not improve.


lol this from the ED TO school. OK
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 12:33     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
The Department of Education should ban the false advertising of high "average SAT scores" for schools that are test optional. It's outright lying.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 12:21     Subject: Re:Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:so basically AO not concerned if student is able to keep up with classes but rather they want to keep the score "up" artificially inflated....otherwise 1400 would be ok everywhere


I partially agree. I think they’re saying that test score isn’t necessary to evaluate an applicant’s readiness/likelihood of success; all it’s good for is keeping the school’s average inflated.


The thing is - if they know your HS, they kind of can use Landscape and Slate to predict your academic abilities based on grades, GPA and other metrics. If they don't know your HS, I imagine you (1) aren't getting in TO or (2) need a high score.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 12:19     Subject: Re:Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
Anonymous wrote:so basically AO not concerned if student is able to keep up with classes but rather they want to keep the score "up" artificially inflated....otherwise 1400 would be ok everywhere


I partially agree. I think they’re saying that test score isn’t necessary to evaluate an applicant’s readiness/likelihood of success; all it’s good for is keeping the school’s average inflated.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 11:39     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If fewer than 50 percent of students submit scores, then scores do not count in U.S. News rankings and other factors get more weight. For this reason, I wonder if some schools try to discourage score submitting from all but the very top applicants to ensure they stay below the 50 percent mark. I otherwise can't understand why seemingly similar colleges have wildly different percentages of score submitters (see, e.g., Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke).


I had no idea US News treated colleges differently if less than 50% submitted. What other factors get more weight, and how does this strategically improve those schools rankings?



Graduation rates, on the theory that they correlate most closely to test scores. I would guess weighting this more helps LACs with lots of full-pay families whose kids are likely going to graduate on time even with a 1350 SAT.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 11:39     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
Anonymous wrote:I think I posted in this linked thread last year (but not sure)... WashU said you would not be treated "worse" or differently without a test score (they don't assume a low score if there is NO score) - there's just one less data point in the scoring rubric.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1231410.page


Also this one was helpful. You might want to bump it up, OP?

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1247472.page
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 11:38     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
I think I posted in this linked thread last year (but not sure)... WashU said you would not be treated "worse" or differently without a test score (they don't assume a low score if there is NO score) - there's just one less data point in the scoring rubric.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1231410.page
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 11:36     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:USNWR should be disbanded. Too much influence on college admissions


Totally agree. It has outlived its useful life. The information it provides is often directionally helpful but people get too in the weeds and truly think that #24 is significantly "better" than #25. Very little changes every year but they have to shuffle the rankings or no one would come back.


And yet people are obsessed despite all evidence of it being useless. It’s an interesting psychological study - how rankings motivate individuals to make decisions. The whole idea of scarcity and why humans are drawn to things they can’t have.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 11:33     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
Anonymous wrote:If fewer than 50 percent of students submit scores, then scores do not count in U.S. News rankings and other factors get more weight. For this reason, I wonder if some schools try to discourage score submitting from all but the very top applicants to ensure they stay below the 50 percent mark. I otherwise can't understand why seemingly similar colleges have wildly different percentages of score submitters (see, e.g., Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke).


I had no idea US News treated colleges differently if less than 50% submitted. What other factors get more weight, and how does this strategically improve those schools rankings?

Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 11:33     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
Most college counselors say that, absent a big spike, MCUMC should not submit if below 50 percentile. And if you do have a big spike, submit or not submit will not make a difference.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 11:28     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
Anonymous wrote:USNWR should be disbanded. Too much influence on college admissions


Totally agree. It has outlived its useful life. The information it provides is often directionally helpful but people get too in the weeds and truly think that #24 is significantly "better" than #25. Very little changes every year but they have to shuffle the rankings or no one would come back.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 11:24     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
USNWR should be disbanded. Too much influence on college admissions
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2025 11:20     Subject: Statements by AO's or others about SAT/ACT score cutoffs
If fewer than 50 percent of students submit scores, then scores do not count in U.S. News rankings and other factors get more weight. For this reason, I wonder if some schools try to discourage score submitting from all but the very top applicants to ensure they stay below the 50 percent mark. I otherwise can't understand why seemingly similar colleges have wildly different percentages of score submitters (see, e.g., Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke).