Don't Stress About Scores

Descartesz
Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:10:08 +0000

As WantsToLeave’s story suggests, one does not need the highest scores to be admitted. Accomplishments, attitude, and potential evidenced by other means certainly comes into play.

However the idea that test scores have a decreased significance in the last few years, perhaps implied here and openly declared in another, earlier thread, is belied by Yale’s admission statistics. http://www.yale.edu/oir/open/pdf_public/W032_Fresh_SATs.pdf

In order to achieve something like an “area under the curve” integration, I have summed up the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile values for all test sections given in the above. Here are the results since SAT re-centering occurred.

---- V+M V(CR)+M+W
1996 7210
1997 7150
1998 7210
1999 7270
2000 7250
2001 7200
2002 7270
2003 7330
2004 7350
2005 7370
2006 7360 11020
2007 7390 11060
2008 7360 11050
2009 7380 11080
2010 7410 11130

As you can see, scores for admitted students in all score ranges have continued to steadily increase for the past 15 years. While admissions decisions depend on many factors there is no statistical indication that test scores are playing a lesser role.

(I also note a disproportionate increase in three-section totals over two-section totals in the past five years. This suggests to me that the writing section has received some increased consideration since its introduction.)