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What percentage of 170 scorers come from Ivy schools?

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 2:25 am
by NoWorries
How about non-Ivy Ivy types?

Are these stats known?

Re: What percentage of 170 scorers come from Ivy schools?

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 3:20 am
by LSATSCORES2012
Assumptions:

Ivy League LSAT SD = Overall SD (probably not true)
Median=Mean
Change in applicants from 2010-11 cycle to 2011-12 cycle mirrors the change in 170+ applicants (probably about true)

Data, with links to sources:

SD: 10.26
# of Applicants & LSAT Means
Total applicants with LSAT > 170: 4052
Change in applicants from 2010-11 to 2011-2012 cycle: 155050 -> 129958

Based on these assumptions and the data above, one would expect that the Ivy League produces about 539 people who score more than 170 each year.

In the 2010-2011 cycle, there were 4052 170+ applicants, but this data is from the 2011-12 cycle, in which there was a substantial decrease in applicants. After adjusting based upon the decrease in applicants, we can say there were about 3396 170+ scorers in the 2011-2012 cycle.

So, if these assumptions hold true, about 16% of 170+ applicants come from Ivy League institutions. That means 84% come from non-Ivy's.

If the most unlikely assumption - that the Ivy League SD = the overall SD - proves false, which I expect it would, I don't think it would have a substantial effect on the results. If there is a difference, I'm almost sure the SD would be smaller (because there's less room to move around at the higher means), which would mean that there are less 170+ applicants than I have predicted.

So, if my math skills aren't as bad as I think they are...

TL;DR: We can somewhat safely conclude that at most 16% of 170+ applicants come from Ivy's.

Excel #'s for anyone who cares/wants to check my work:

Code: Select all

SD	10.26			
	Applicants	LSAT Mean	% above 170	apps above 170
brown	177	164	0.279342675	49.44365352
columbia	190	164	0.279342675	53.07510829
cornell	314	162	0.217775763	68.38158967
dartmouth	171	164	0.279342675	47.76759746
harvard	251	167	0.384991298	96.63281586
princeton	172	165	0.313012446	53.83814068
penn	324	163	0.247536899	80.20195513
yale	234	167	0.384991298	90.08796379
			TOTAL	539.4288244
Under the same assumptions, AT MOST 39% of 175+ applicants are from Ivy's.

Re: What percentage of 170 scorers come from Ivy schools?

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 3:50 am
by abl
But the question is "Ivy or ivy-type schools" --- e.g., roughly the top 15 national universities and the top 5 liberal arts colleges.

Re: What percentage of 170 scorers come from Ivy schools?

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:45 am
by A. Nony Mouse
In the grand scheme of higher ed, there are a lot more people graduating from non-ivies than from ivy/ivy-like schools. So isn't it more a question about whether ivy/ivy-like grads are overrepresented in the 170+ pool?