Re:Now you can choose which SATs you want colleges to see an...
by tokenadult on Thursday January 01, 2009 @09:42AM
(#416416)
"I think that's why colleges are abandoning the SAT test as criteria. Some top-notch colleges don't ask for test scores at all"
What is the evidence that colleges are abandoning the SAT test? What top-notch colleges do you specifically have in mind that don't ask for test scores at all?
Some comments on trends in college preferences for test scores can be found in
of which the immediately relevant part is a statement by a Harvard admission officer at a public meeting, "There are a lot of students with A's, and test scores help us distinguish among them. Standardized tests are comparison tools. The better predictors are SAT II Subject Tests and AP tests. They are more important than the SAT I or the ACT. You may have read that colleges are expressing doubt about standardized tests, but I'll give you a clue: We won't be cutting back on tests. We might require five SAT II tests. Those are less coachable than the SAT I."
The largest number of colleges that are publicized as SAT-optional might in fact better be characterized as admission-requirement-optional, as they admit most applicants who apply at all, and in many cases have explicit open-admission policies.
"a very bright girl who also took a dozen SAT practice tests, got a 1600 on the main section. I had no practice tests and got a 1510. In the end, the numbers are so close as not to matter."
This is a good point. Students who obsess about a perfect SAT score simply don't understand the theory of estimating mental abilities. Any one instance of taking the test is a sample of learned behavior, and no such sample is exhaustive.
Because almost all students make mistakes on the SAT, and because all colleges desire to fill their entering classes each year, all colleges everywhere gladly admit students who made mistakes on the SAT.
So really students worry far too much about the SAT when they could be doing something important like reading a challenging book about a subject they like or pursuing a personal project that satisfies their curiosity.
What is the evidence that colleges are abandoning the SAT test? What top-notch colleges do you specifically have in mind that don't ask for test scores at all?
Some comments on trends in college preferences for test scores can be found in
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/57965...
of which the immediately relevant part is a statement by a Harvard admission officer at a public meeting, "There are a lot of students with A's, and test scores help us distinguish among them. Standardized tests are comparison tools. The better predictors are SAT II Subject Tests and AP tests. They are more important than the SAT I or the ACT. You may have read that colleges are expressing doubt about standardized tests, but I'll give you a clue: We won't be cutting back on tests. We might require five SAT II tests. Those are less coachable than the SAT I."
The largest number of colleges that are publicized as SAT-optional might in fact better be characterized as admission-requirement-optional, as they admit most applicants who apply at all, and in many cases have explicit open-admission policies.
"a very bright girl who also took a dozen SAT practice tests, got a 1600 on the main section. I had no practice tests and got a 1510. In the end, the numbers are so close as not to matter."
This is a good point. Students who obsess about a perfect SAT score simply don't understand the theory of estimating mental abilities. Any one instance of taking the test is a sample of learned behavior, and no such sample is exhaustive.
Because almost all students make mistakes on the SAT, and because all colleges desire to fill their entering classes each year, all colleges everywhere gladly admit students who made mistakes on the SAT.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/41382...
And yet, a perfect SAT score does not guarantee admission at any college.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/377882-how...
So really students worry far too much about the SAT when they could be doing something important like reading a challenging book about a subject they like or pursuing a personal project that satisfies their curiosity.