<p>I think it is another one of those things you evaluate and take into account, and that you can’t generalize about.</p>
<p>A wide range will manifest differently in a large state school with 10,000 students per year versus 500 students per year. At a big state school a theoretical physics major and an elementary education major might be happy to dorm together and discuss politics and might both be A students, but they are unlikely to take the same level math courses, even if they both double major in math. A small school with a narrow range of students might be a problem and not offer courses of use to both students, but it might be fine in the larger school.
One more thought – sometimes ONE student needs a school with a wide range of students. To shine in one area, but not to be trounced in an area of interest but weakness.
Or, a particular student might not suffer fools gladly. (Whether the student should learn to do so is an entirely different question!)</p>
<p>I did a graph where I mapped out all the 25-75th percentiles on one vertical scale. It helped us rule out some of the original safety schools. For this particular student we were looking for a particular niche – we wanted the 75th percentile just at or below his scores (which are good, but his gpa is not stellar and he has other issues), but the 25th percentile to be respectable because he wants an intellectual atmosphere. (Of course the SAT percentiles were just indicators – the actual school atmosphere and facts ruled.) For S1 We looked at a group of schools where he was more in the midst of a narrower band of highish SAT’s, and a wider band of SAT’s, and he opted for an honors program at the state flagship over the small LAC.</p>
<p>Sorry for the long reply, I am in nervous waiting for EA response mode!</p>