8/23/25 SAT scores out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if forced to choose, college professors would rather teach high SAT/low GPA kids than low SAT/ high GPA kids.

I wonder why that is?

Because ...

Based on data compiled across 139 colleges in 2023, these graphs show the percentage of students expected to be in the top 1% of income earners based on their career status at age 25. As you can see, higher standardized test scores (left graph) correlate very well with future economic success; one’s High School GPA (right graph) shows no such correlation, and instead is consistent with a flat, uncorrelated distribution.

Hmm ... this graph seems to indicate that my DC will earn a higher income if she got a 1430 (95th percentile) on SAT versus a 1500 (98th percentile). The income dot is higher at around 1430-ish than 1500-ish.

Also, there is about a 5% point difference between 1300 and 1600. That range doesn't convince me that a 1600 clearly gives you an advantage in earning potential.

ummm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if forced to choose, college professors would rather teach high SAT/low GPA kids than low SAT/ high GPA kids.

I wonder why that is?

Because ...

Based on data compiled across 139 colleges in 2023, these graphs show the percentage of students expected to be in the top 1% of income earners based on their career status at age 25. As you can see, higher standardized test scores (left graph) correlate very well with future economic success; one’s High School GPA (right graph) shows no such correlation, and instead is consistent with a flat, uncorrelated distribution.

Hmm ... this graph seems to indicate that my DC will earn a higher income if she got a 1430 (95th percentile) on SAT versus a 1500 (98th percentile). The income dot is higher at around 1430-ish than 1500-ish.

Also, there is about a 5% point difference between 1300 and 1600. That range doesn't convince me that a 1600 clearly gives you an advantage in earning potential.

1600-1300=300
300/1300=23.08%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if forced to choose, college professors would rather teach high SAT/low GPA kids than low SAT/ high GPA kids.

I wonder why that is?

Because ...

Based on data compiled across 139 colleges in 2023, these graphs show the percentage of students expected to be in the top 1% of income earners based on their career status at age 25. As you can see, higher standardized test scores (left graph) correlate very well with future economic success; one’s High School GPA (right graph) shows no such correlation, and instead is consistent with a flat, uncorrelated distribution.

Hmm ... this graph seems to indicate that my DC will earn a higher income if she got a 1430 (95th percentile) on SAT versus a 1500 (98th percentile). The income dot is higher at around 1430-ish than 1500-ish.

Also, there is about a 5% point difference between 1300 and 1600. That range doesn't convince me that a 1600 clearly gives you an advantage in earning potential.

1600-1300=300
300/1300=23.08%

The PP meant percentile difference. They were saying about 5%ile difference.

1350 - 90th percentile
1430 - 95th percentile
1500 - 98th percentile
1550 - 99th percentile

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What about an A in Calc AB, a 4 on the exam, and a 630 on the math portion of the SAT? For a kid who doesn’t ever plan on taking another math course in their life?

Not everyone is an engineering or CS major, but they all have to perform on this same test. Even the Ivies educate artists and musicians and philosophers and all sorts of other multifaceted individuals whose contributions can’t be measured by a standardized test.

I'm sorry, a person who gets a 4 on the Calc AB exam and a 630 on the SAT Math test does not deserve an "A" in a true college level calculus course. This is exactly the problem with grade inflation and the insane "rigor" arms race. The 4 and the 630 are not consistent with A-level mastery of the topic. In a school with honest grading standards, such a student would get a "B" in an AP class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What about an A in Calc AB, a 4 on the exam, and a 630 on the math portion of the SAT? For a kid who doesn’t ever plan on taking another math course in their life?

Not everyone is an engineering or CS major, but they all have to perform on this same test. Even the Ivies educate artists and musicians and philosophers and all sorts of other multifaceted individuals whose contributions can’t be measured by a standardized test.

I'm sorry, a person who gets a 4 on the Calc AB exam and a 630 on the SAT Math test does not deserve an "A" in a true college level calculus course. This is exactly the problem with grade inflation and the insane "rigor" arms race. The 4 and the 630 are not consistent with A-level mastery of the topic. In a school with honest grading standards, such a student would get a "B" in an AP class.

Frankly at a top private they would get a C.
It's very, very common at a top private to get a B in calculus and a 5 on the AP exam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What about an A in Calc AB, a 4 on the exam, and a 630 on the math portion of the SAT? For a kid who doesn’t ever plan on taking another math course in their life?

Not everyone is an engineering or CS major, but they all have to perform on this same test. Even the Ivies educate artists and musicians and philosophers and all sorts of other multifaceted individuals whose contributions can’t be measured by a standardized test.

I'm sorry, a person who gets a 4 on the Calc AB exam and a 630 on the SAT Math test does not deserve an "A" in a true college level calculus course. This is exactly the problem with grade inflation and the insane "rigor" arms race. The 4 and the 630 are not consistent with A-level mastery of the topic. In a school with honest grading standards, such a student would get a "B" in an AP class.

Frankly at a top private they would get a C.
It's very, very common at a top private to get a B in calculus and a 5 on the AP exam.

And a perfect math SAT. This was my kid. B+ in Calculus (only 2 kids out of 15 received As), 5 on the AP, 800 math score first try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What about an A in Calc AB, a 4 on the exam, and a 630 on the math portion of the SAT? For a kid who doesn’t ever plan on taking another math course in their life?

Not everyone is an engineering or CS major, but they all have to perform on this same test. Even the Ivies educate artists and musicians and philosophers and all sorts of other multifaceted individuals whose contributions can’t be measured by a standardized test.

I'm sorry, a person who gets a 4 on the Calc AB exam and a 630 on the SAT Math test does not deserve an "A" in a true college level calculus course. This is exactly the problem with grade inflation and the insane "rigor" arms race. The 4 and the 630 are not consistent with A-level mastery of the topic. In a school with honest grading standards, such a student would get a "B" in an AP class.

lol OK whatever you say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What about an A in Calc AB, a 4 on the exam, and a 630 on the math portion of the SAT? For a kid who doesn’t ever plan on taking another math course in their life?

Not everyone is an engineering or CS major, but they all have to perform on this same test. Even the Ivies educate artists and musicians and philosophers and all sorts of other multifaceted individuals whose contributions can’t be measured by a standardized test.

I'm sorry, a person who gets a 4 on the Calc AB exam and a 630 on the SAT Math test does not deserve an "A" in a true college level calculus course. This is exactly the problem with grade inflation and the insane "rigor" arms race. The 4 and the 630 are not consistent with A-level mastery of the topic. In a school with honest grading standards, such a student would get a "B" in an AP class.

Update: she’s up to a 710 in math. Just told me her Aug scores. There’s no calculus on the SAT, though, so her score there is not really indicative of her mastery of that subject.

Either way, it doesn’t matter. Like I said, she has no intention of ever taking another math course if she can help it, nor of using calculus in her life after college. It’s all just box-checking. (FWIW, I was an Econ major who chose that in part because I loved doing calculus so much, and even I’ve never used calculus once since graduating college.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What about an A in Calc AB, a 4 on the exam, and a 630 on the math portion of the SAT? For a kid who doesn’t ever plan on taking another math course in their life?

Not everyone is an engineering or CS major, but they all have to perform on this same test. Even the Ivies educate artists and musicians and philosophers and all sorts of other multifaceted individuals whose contributions can’t be measured by a standardized test.

I'm sorry, a person who gets a 4 on the Calc AB exam and a 630 on the SAT Math test does not deserve an "A" in a true college level calculus course. This is exactly the problem with grade inflation and the insane "rigor" arms race. The 4 and the 630 are not consistent with A-level mastery of the topic. In a school with honest grading standards, such a student would get a "B" in an AP class.

Frankly at a top private they would get a C.
It's very, very common at a top private to get a B in calculus and a 5 on the AP exam.

Well, we can’t all go to a top private, can we? Things are done a little differently at publics. You’re welcome to partake if you think it’s so much easier for our kids. Otherwise, just shut it and enjoy the numerous advantages you’re paying for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you feel about the score?

DC just got the email. 1510 740V/770M one and done. Good enough for what DC is going for. We’re all very happy here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you feel about the score?

People on DCUM think 1500 scores are easy to achieve. Even with test prep, it's not.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:up 40 in english after getting same score on all three previous SATs so that is awesome-not at 730, but math down to 720(highest 740), superscore is 1470 , senior female, taking again, has 5/5 in ap calc c, wants engineering

she's going to take the SAT five times?

no the first 690 was psat, so sept will be fourth time.
all of her school friends are taking it 7-8 times, lets not pretend you don't know this

DP.

Is this really common? Most I’ve heard of is 3x.

Seriously effed up if true

It’s a shorter test now with pretty significant disparity in difficulty between test dates. That has led to more kids taking it more times.

DP. I agree that there seem to be significant disparities in difficulty between test dates. I don't know whether that has yet translated to taking it more times, though that would make sense. What is irksome is that the scoring scale is shrouded in mystery with digital testing, whereas the old paper test had the same weight per question, there were limited numbers of test forms, and the scale for the most common form for a test date could often be crowd-sourced.

It seems that the August test was a particularly difficult one. Does this mean that September and October upcoming are likely to be a little easier overall?

It doesn’t work that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What about an A in Calc AB, a 4 on the exam, and a 630 on the math portion of the SAT? For a kid who doesn’t ever plan on taking another math course in their life?

Not everyone is an engineering or CS major, but they all have to perform on this same test. Even the Ivies educate artists and musicians and philosophers and all sorts of other multifaceted individuals whose contributions can’t be measured by a standardized test.

I'm sorry, a person who gets a 4 on the Calc AB exam and a 630 on the SAT Math test does not deserve an "A" in a true college level calculus course. This is exactly the problem with grade inflation and the insane "rigor" arms race. The 4 and the 630 are not consistent with A-level mastery of the topic. In a school with honest grading standards, such a student would get a "B" in an AP class.

Frankly at a top private they would get a C.
It's very, very common at a top private to get a B in calculus and a 5 on the AP exam.

Yup

[Anonymous]

No matter how “hard” the test is, the same percentage of kids get a 1600 or 1440 or 1100.

Smart kids often want “hard” because you can miss 2 or 3 or 4 and still get a 1580.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Test scores should not be dispositive in the admissions context, but it is undeniably useful to have a single uniform and unbiased metric for all kids in the admissions pool (if only to normalize the wildly different quality and grading standards across high schools).

It's not unbiased! It's biased in favor of kids from upper SES homes with college educated parents who can pay for prep courses.

Yet so many UMC moms in this thread reporting they are happy with their DCs 1200 scores. It’s the LEAST biased factor. The test doesn’t care grandpa’s seven figures trust, it also doesn’t care extended time UMC moms bought for their mediocre kids.

+1

Most kids are just that: average.

It's ok.