<p>I have read on CC that the published SAT scores are inflated due to the number of merit awards that colleges give attracting high scorers to boost their SAT range and thus their selectivity.</p>
<p>For these schools, would you say that EACH of the 3 sections is inflated by 50 points - 150 total?</p>
<p>Would you think more points or less?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Frankly, I have an opposite point of view. While I don’t have hard numbers to prove this, I believe that the reported SAT ranges for most schools are actually deflated, not inflated. </p>
<p>Here’s why: the SAT scores - and for that matter the class rank and GPAs - reported on the common data set (the information used by publishers like US News, the guidebooks, etc.) are for students who ENROLL, not students who are ACCEPTED. At many schools - especially schools with low yield rates - I am fairly certain that enrolled student stats are somewhat below and in some cases significantly below the stats of all accepted students. Better students have more choices and are more likely to go elsewhere, it’s as simple as that. And those better students are the ones that merit money is most often designed to attract once they’ve been accepted. </p>
<p>But keep in mind that schools also only report the merit awards that ENROLLED students accept, not all of the merit awards they offer to all accepted students. So, in most cases it probably isn’t a safe assumption to think that merit is boosting those median scores of enrolled students. The exception might be schools where a large proportion of enrolled students are receiving decent sized merit awards - say 20-30% or more of students. Then, you might be a little safer speculating that reported medians of enrolled students are artificially being driven by merit.</p>
<p>A caveat needs to be added to all of the above: each school is different, and has different goals for their enrollment management programs. I’m talking in general terms here, not about any specific school. </p>
<p>In terms of admission, it’s a good idea to keep in mind that the median stats for all ADMITTED students may be somewhat higher than for ENROLLED students when you’re guestimating your chances, especially at lower yield schools.</p>
<p>Hi Carolyn </p>
<p>Some of your conclusions I agree with and others I do not. The following statements I am entering as fact (attorney speak):</p>
<ol>
<li> USNWR admission SAT stats are for enrolled students.</li>
<li> HYP and tippy top colleges do not give merit awards.<br></li>
<li> Moving down the admissions ladder, colleges begin to give merit awards (those that give approx 25-50% of enrolled freshmen these awards), are listed on USNWR on a merit award list.</li>
</ol>
<p>I am basing my assumptions on the colleges that are not listed in the USNWR listing. The vast number of those give awards upwards to 20+% of enrolled freshmen. If a school doles out merit money to the students who are SAT high scorers, then in fact, the SAT’s are skewed upwards. </p>
<p>Thoughts…</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Susan,
If you want fact, take a look at the numbers of students receiving merit awards at individual schools. I have. I have gone through every school’s reported percentage of merit awards and dollar amounts at every school included in the US News & World Reports (a time-consuming effort I must admit.)</p>
<p>I was surprised to discover that only a very small proportion of schools among the 2800 plus 4 year schools out there give merit money to over 20% of students, even when you get down to third and forth tier schools. There aren’t even all that many schools that give merit awards to more than 15% of students. Even at schools that DO give merit to a substantial portion of enrolled students, very, very few schools give LARGE merit awards (in terms of dollars)to large percentages of their enrolled student bodies. </p>
<p>Again, while I don’t have the numbers to prove otherwise, it seems highly unlikely that merit awards are driving SAT scores up significantly at more than a handful of colleges and universities. What merit money IS driving at MOST schools is enrollment - making sure each class is filled with qualified students. </p>
<p>As I said, it is important to keep the fact that reported SAT scores (including those used by USNews) are for ENROLLED students, not ACCEPTED students.
Unless we have hard and fast numbers for both, as well as hard and fast numbers for both the number of merit awards actually accepted and those offered but refused, it’s not a safe bet to assume that SAT scores at MOST colleges and universities are being inflated by merit money. (As I said in my first post, there are some exceptions — but they are just that: exceptions, not the proven rule) </p>
<p>But that’s just my opinion - I’ve been wrong before, and could be again. :)</p>