Data regarding perfect ACT/SAT scorers?

10jarsle
Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:16:09 +0000

People are right to downplay the importance of scores, especially at the high end, but there’s a noteworthy exception here. Perfect scores, on any section or especially overall, are FAR better than 790s. After that, the difference is minimal. Here’s why: imagine a bell with everyone’s “true” SAT score (aka the mean if they took it a dozen times). Most scores would fall on the curve. HOWEVER, anyone whose “true” SAT score is above 800 in a given section would be expected to get… an 800. So, objectively, the average “true” score of someone with an 800 on any given section is likely far higher than 800 (who knows what it is). Same thing goes with being valedictorian of a small high school, etc. The people who really benefit are those who barely get an 800, because statistically they are lumped in with the 900s and 1000s and 1500s. So, all things equal, you would expect perfect scorers to have much higher rates of admission than 2370s (790X3). I have a strong hunch that the data bears that out, but of course it isn’t publicly accessible.