The average SAT score to Harvard in the 50’s was around an 1100.

The claim that the average SAT score to Harvard in the 1950s was around 1100 requires examining several factors: the SAT scoring scale at that time, Harvard's admissions standards historically, and how scores have evolved. The SAT scoring system has undergone changes, including score scale adjustments and the addition of points over time. Sources indicate that current average admitted student scores at Harvard are around 1520-1550.nextadmit.comnextadmit.comHarvard SAT Scores: Full Breakdownprepscholar.comprepscholar.comWhat You Need For Harvard: SAT Scores and GPA

While direct data from the 1950s is scarce, historical context from similar elite institutions suggests that admitted students had relatively high scores even then. For example, Princeton's middle 50% verbal scores in 1985 ranged from 600 to 720, which on a roughly comparable scale indicates strong performance.

Additionally, anecdotal evidence and expert commentary imply that while the SAT has been recalibrated, elite schools like Harvard have consistently admitted students with above-average scores. The figure of 1100 would have been closer to an average or below-average score in later decades and is unlikely to represent Harvard's admitted student average in the 1950s.

Therefore, while exact numbers for the 1950s are not readily available, the claim understates the likely average SAT score for Harvard admissions during that era.