Most highly selective colleges report score ranges for standardized tests between the 25th percentile and 75th percentile. These score ranges are also referred to as the middle 50 percent. These score ranges are representative of only half of the students admitted to each individual college. If you look at the chart above, you will see that 25% of admitted students scored below the given range, and 25% of students scored above the range.

For example, Princeton University reports that the middle 50 percent of admitted students for the class of 2025 who submitted SAT scores scored in a range of 1470 to 1570, and the middle 50 percent of students for the class of 2025 who submitted ACT scores scored in a range of 33 to 35.

These reported scores are representative of only half of the students admitted to Princeton for the class of 2025. For the rest of the students admitted to Princeton, 25% of them scored below and 25% of them scored above the given ranges.

For those who submitted SAT scores, 25% of them scored below 1470 while 25% of them scored near perfect scores above 1570. And for those who submitted ACT scores, 25% of them scored less than 33 while 25% of them submitted perfect scores of 36.

In all, 75% of admitted students at Princeton who submitted test scores scored above 1470 for SAT and 33 for ACT while 25% of admitted students who submitted test scores scored below these numbers.

The score ranges reported by Princeton are very tight for the middle 50 percent with a range of 100 points for the SAT and 3 points for the ACT between the score at the 25th percentile and the score at the 75th percentile.

Other colleges may have wider ranges for test scores. Stanford University reported a SAT score range of 1420 to 1570 and an ACT score range of 31 to 35 for its’ middle 50 percent of students. University of Notre Dame reported a SAT score range of 1400 to 1550 and an ACT score range of 32 to 35 for its middle 50 percent of admitted students.

Even if an applicant has standardized scores below the low end of the middle 50 percent, it is important to remember that 25% of a college’s admitted students scored below this benchmark. In today’s admissions environment, it is highly likely that many admitted students in the lowest quartile for test scores are those were admitted on the basis of preference or they are athlete recruits.

While it is still theoretically possible to gain admission with a lower test score combined with strong performance in other areas of evaluation, you need to be reasonable in expectations. An applicant with an SAT test score of 1100 will struggle to gain admission to Princeton.

Learn more about Key admission criteria used by top colleges

While most of the highly selective colleges are now test optional, it is important to note that applicants who submit test scores have been admitted at twice the rate of those who did not submit test scores at the most selective colleges. There is a distinct advantage to those who submit test scores as it makes it much easier for a college to assess an applicant’s ability handle a rigorous academic program in college.

Read about Academic Statistics that Matter at the Top Colleges

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