Dear ArborBridge,

I was looking at the score ranges for some of the schools my daughter wants to apply to and I don’t understand what it means when a school lists incoming freshman scores as something like “630-720” for the “25th%-75%.” Does that mean the average is the midpoint of those two scores? Why do they list this weird range instead of simply listing an average score?

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This is a great question that I am often asked by parents. It’s important to look at schools’ average SAT scores – they can take the guesswork out of choosing which schools to apply to. Schools opt to show the range of scores of admitted students rather than an average because a range tends to appear more descriptive than a single average score. ”Percentiles” are not so much raw averages as they are indicators of the spread of the scores that a school has admitted.

For instance, if NYU lists the 25th/75th for SAT Math as 630/740, this means that 25 percent of admitted students had a score of 630 or below, while those in the top 25% (the fourth quartile) had 740. Simply taking the average doesn’t tell us the reach of the range – two schools could have the same average but very different ranges:

School A: Range of 650 to 750 = 700 Average

School B: Range of 600 to 800 = 700 Average

So, by citing admitted scores in the form of a range, students know where their scores fall comparatively. Many counselors use these ranges to determine “safety” and “reach” schools. If a student’s score falls at or below the 25%, it’s considered a “reach” school. If it’s higher than the 75%, then it’s a “safety” school. Most counselors recommend having a well-rounded list that contains mostly competitive schools (those where the score falls in between the range) with a few “safety” and “reach” schools.

Keep in mind that SAT scores are only one small part of a student’s application. If a student demonstrates extraordinary ability or has a distinctive background, he or she might apply successfully with scores on the low end of a school’s range. But looking at SAT averages can be useful because the SAT is the one measure that is comparable across all colleges and all applicants.

If you’re comfortably near a school’s 75th percentile mark, then you’re in great shape. If you’re low but want to improve, then efficient, focused tutoring can turn reaches into safeties!

For more information about ArborBridge SAT prep, visit our programs page.