<p>Apropos of not much, one other quirk of the secondary sources (USNews, CB, PR) combined SAT mid-50% range scores is that they are constructs, not actual numbers. This doesn’t matter for comparing across schools because the methodology is the same for all; but it might make some difference in a student’s comparing his/her own SATs to the USNews etc. numbers.</p>
<p>In the CDS, schools report the mid-50% range separately for CR, M (and now WR); they do not generally report a combined mid-50% range. The way US News etc. give you a combined mid-50% range is by adding together the mid-50% ranges for CR and M (and now WR). This tends to deflate the 25% end of the range and inflate the 75% end. </p>
<p>This is illustrated by data from schools that do report combined numbers.</p>
<p>For the Rice class of 2010, the numbers are:</p>
<p>CR 650-760
M 680-780</p>
<p>US News etc. will report this as mid-50% of 1330-1540</p>
<p>But Rice actually reports a real combined score on its website: 1350-1510</p>
<p>For Washington & Lee Class of 2010:</p>
<p>(from CDS linked to on W&L site):</p>
<p>CR 650-740
M 650-730</p>
<pre><code> (construct combined score: 1300-1470)
</code></pre>
<p>Actual combined score reported: 1330-1450.</p>