Some years ago on the back of an envelope I did the math. SAT scores correlated closely with family income. If youe dad wants you to get inti a highly selective college, tell him to increase family income by a hundred thousand or more. Oh, I know, the correlation doesn’t predict results for any individual, but the point was obvious. SATs favored more affluent applicants. No wonder then that many colleges and universities have dropped them. Now, however, David Leonhardt of the New York Times has taken a fresh look at the evidence about what happens when standardized tests are eliminated from the admissions process. Something important is lost, because standardized tests are better predictors of success in college than high school transcripts, letters of recommendation or applicants’ essays. What’s more, these other indicators actually favor more affluent applicants..
The solution, I believe, is obvious: keep the SATs but use them in smart ways. For example, look for applicants whose SATs are significantly higher than what one would predict based on family income. A poor kid scores high: that could well mean that she has surmounted some obstacles in the past and can be expected to do so in the future. A real achiever! Admit,
On the other side: mama and papa bring home the bacon, big time, and Johnny, their favored child, scores just a little above the median for admits at Ivy Tech. Sorry, Johnny; that’s not good enough. Your affluent family has probably given you all the advantages, a top-flight secondary school, tutoring whenever needed, an admissions adviser who has helped shape your essay, special courses on how to conquer the SAT, etc., etc.
Basic principle: more evidence is better than less evidence, if you are smart enough to use it right.
The solution, I believe, is obvious: keep the SATs but use them in smart ways. For example, look for applicants whose SATs are significantly higher than what one would predict based on family income. A poor kid scores high: that could well mean that she has surmounted some obstacles in the past and can be expected to do so in the future. A real achiever! Admit,
On the other side: mama and papa bring home the bacon, big time, and Johnny, their favored child, scores just a little above the median for admits at Ivy Tech. Sorry, Johnny; that’s not good enough. Your affluent family has probably given you all the advantages, a top-flight secondary school, tutoring whenever needed, an admissions adviser who has helped shape your essay, special courses on how to conquer the SAT, etc., etc.
Basic principle: more evidence is better than less evidence, if you are smart enough to use it right.