Colleges turning their backs on the SAT and ACT scores

It's strange that the standardized tests are now viewed as tools of the elite, keeping the poor kids down.

At one time, standardized tests were seen as great levelers. The tests meant that a kid at South Topeka High could at least compete on the same playing field as someone who went to Elite Eastern Academy.

I went to a large, suburban high school, and I knew a lot of uber-achievers who always worked very hard and always got straight A's and were, frankly, dumb as rocks. If I were an admissions counselor, I would like to have a test to identify those students from the smart students.

 

Layman, I've no doubt you do a honorable, honest job putting the best possible class together for your college/university. I also have no doubt you'd do just as well without ever looking at the SAT.

 

Maybe. But, we also want every piece of information we can get. I don't want to limit my snapshot of what a prospective student's capabilities may or may not be. My job is as much about saving kids (and families) from academic (and financial) trouble, as it is assembling a good class.

Hey, I don't want to come across as a huge defender of the tests. They are, ABSOLUTELY, flawed. Actually, the most "destructive" use of the tests isn't in the admission decision process....it's in the financial aid process. Entirely too many schools (privates) base their academic scholarship / competitive aid (not need-based) decisions on a matrix which gives WAY too much weight to the test scores.

Truth be told, I'm not sure I'D have been admitted to the school I currently work at. Tends to keep things in perspective, when I'm dealing with students we deny......

 

When NYU stood for No Yids University and CCNY stood for Circumscised Citizens of New York, there was segregation in New Yorks Colleges. Jews couldn't get into NYU, let alone Columbia or Harvard, there were quotas. An elderly family member 60 years ago was denied admission to Johns Hopkins medical school, after graduating Johns Hopkins as an undergrad with high honors, because they already admitted their Jewish student for the year. The advent of SATs put Jews on a level playing field with those who went to private boarding schools. Now we're told that SATs are the domain of the rich and middle class, well that comprises 75% of America. It allowed for the children of the working poor to have equal standing with the truely rich. Not any more because what worked to economically and socially integrate higher education doesn't work for blacks. It worked for everyone else, including the Asians and Hispanics today. Because the black kids can't cut, we need to scrap it. FUCK THAT SHIT. It works for everyone but the African Americans, maybe the fault lies not with the tests.

 

Another Dumbfuckistan precinct reports.

 

All of the dumbest people I know tested poorly.

 

It's as good a predictor of capability as any aspect

 

Back when this country was much smarter.

 

Drinking the rainbow Kool-Aid.

 

Hi, my name is farmerj and I didn't take my ACTs or SATs. I got into Syracuse, LeMoyne and Wells without them.

Just my .02.

 

Just because you didn't take them doesn't mean you wouldn't have done well on them.

 

fo shinizzle