SAT "adversity" adjustment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's to stop a kid from lying about income to College Board? Many kids may not actually even know an accurate answer.

I would tell my child things not to report unless it was mandatory. I don’t want to give my kid a HHI number anyway.

Did you read the article? They are using the median income of your neighborhood, not your family income.

[Anonymous]

Isn't it time to ditch SAT and take ACT instead?

[Anonymous]

For most people, the ACT is a harder test (you have to answer more questions in less time).

[Anonymous]

The questions on the ACT are much easier. If you are fast the ACT is an easier test and if you’re not you can get extra time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This should also stop the insanity, shenanigans, and pressure around trying to get into those "elite" high schools...LOL

Now kids will hopefully stay at their local neighborhood schools...and all of the schools will get better as opposed to the brain drain...

Right. People won’t go for TJ because it might change their adversity number. /s

Keep dreaming. TJ kids are known as TJ kids whether their “number” is high or not.

I worked in college admissions...the people doing the first cut, are work study students...they don't know TJ, from Springfield to WestPo...locally it's a big deal, nationally, hell regionally outside of VA, no one gives a shit...

Where do you work? Because instate VA says they batch TJ separately and review together. I talked to the regional dean for WM who reviews every TJ application and was saying that they had seen a downturn in math grades since since TJ changed their math tracking to semesters. They know it on a granular level.

My kid has been interviewing for college and everyone interviewing him has discussed the school with him.

God knows the Ivy’s are literally in litigation that involves reviewing TJ students applications, along with 3-4 other schools.

Any school TJ kids want to go flags the app in some way. They certainly do not all get in. But they don’t get dumped by work students students.

And maybe some large State midrange college does it this way and doesn’t care. But TJ kids aren’t applying anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This should also stop the insanity, shenanigans, and pressure around trying to get into those "elite" high schools...LOL

Now kids will hopefully stay at their local neighborhood schools...and all of the schools will get better as opposed to the brain drain...

Right. People won’t go for TJ because it might change their adversity number. /s

Keep dreaming. TJ kids are known as TJ kids whether their “number” is high or not.

I worked in college admissions...the people doing the first cut, are work study students...they don't know TJ, from Springfield to WestPo...locally it's a big deal, nationally, hell regionally outside of VA, no one gives a shit...

You must be at a shitty school like George Mason, which TJ students wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole anyway.

Don’t be snarky. TJ kids apply because it’s on the list of absolute in state, not matter how badly you did safeties (VCU, Pitt, GMU, JMU are the biggies on the guidance counselors list). They are also presumed admits unless there is something like a disciplinary issue.

And GMU has a decent CS program with good placement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.wsj.com/articles/sat-to-give-students-adversity-score-to-capture-social-and-economic-background-11557999000

Wonder how they'll define adversity.

It is hard for me to support it as a "donut hole" parent, but I do recognize that this is appropriate direction given how prep classes routinely up SAT scores by 200-300 points.

Thoughts?

this is a fallacy--I think external studies have that when you use a real SAT for pre and a real SAT for post (not some in-house equivalent amassed from selecting problems from prior tests or creating analogues)prep raised scores on average 30-40 pts (which is not unsubstantial, but not drastic) and that most prep places massaged data in ways to make gains appear far larger than an external assessment would find.

I taught LSAT and SAT Math prep in law school as my side gig for Princeton Review. This is true. Most of the gain then were in math, because verbal is hard to move. Now, reading comp is hard to move, and English sentence, grammar section is less so. Most gains are based on test familiarity, which kids can get without spending thousands of dollars. I was able to move my kids scores 60 points in about 10-15 hours with just the SAT Book of 8 released tests.

So, as an aside, I will save you thousands of dollars.

Have your kid take a released copy. Look at what they missed. How many in each section. Pick their weakest section that isn’t reading comp— the RC score is very hard to move. Your kid has either read their whole life or not. So, look where they can get the most points back with the least effort.

Have your kid work through the SAT Test Book pointers on their worst, no RC section, and do some Kahn Academy on that section.

Have your kid kid retake their worst section only several times using the released tests and really look and understand what they missed and why.

Repeat if you have time and they missed a significant number of questions on their second worst non RC section.

Take another couple full tests in the lead up to the SAT.

That’s all most test prep companies do. And they are less efficient, because they are teaching to a class and do both language and math, which your kid might not need. And they have to pretend RC will move. It won’t.

I think that you are thinking along the lines of a standard SAT test prep course...vs a test prep lifestyle...where they actively spend time working on test prep from 6th grade on up...

If you familiarize yourself with the test on that level, your scores will increase dramatically...

Plus, PP, those are great suggestions, thank you. Khan academy SAT Prep does pretty much what you are suggesting, I believe. And it's free. So that is already leveling the playing field as far as test prep.

It’s more than the actual prep course. Does the child have access to a device to take the Khan course? Does he or she have Internet at home? Or does the child have to go the library to use the Internet? Does the child have a way to get to the library? Does he or she have parents in the house to supervise nightly prep, or do the parents work at night? Does the child work at night? Do the parents know the importance of test prep, and encourage it?

In NOVA they do. Arlington gives out iPads. FCPS is expanding its pilot and every Mass and HS kid gets a laptop next year. Which they can certainly use to Kahn Academy at school or the library— or anywhere with internet.

Plus, I have heard (but don’t know first hand) that FARMS families in NoVA with kids in school can get free internet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's to stop a kid from lying about income to College Board? Many kids may not actually even know an accurate answer.

I would tell my child things not to report unless it was mandatory. I don’t want to give my kid a HHI number anyway.

Did you read the article? They are using the median income of your neighborhood, not your family income.

Nope. The article is behind a paywall. If you insist on posting paywall articles, please give enough info for people to discuss, or at the very least, don’t get snarky when they don’t know. I pay for the NYT and WaPo. I’m not also paying for the WSJ to participate in this discussion.

I know you already self report stuff like parents education.

[Anonymous]

SAT will include 'adversity score'

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Updated 2 hours ago

To correctly identify the socioeconomic backgrounds of those taking the SAT exam, the College Board will assign an adversity score to every student. Fifteen factors will be considered when calculating the score, including crime rate and poverty levels of where the student comes from. Colleges will be given that score along with the student’s application, who will be unaware of their result. The College Board said it was introducing the new system after a trial at 50 schools last year, as well as concerns over “income inequality influencing test results for years,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can not believe how many of you affluent advantaged people are now online rallying against this. Have you no shame? As you no empathy? Have you no understanding? This is not designed to hurt your kids, but to help other kids.

I do have empathy for others but what about my family? I am the only in my family's generation to go to college (local state u while working). I waited to have kids so my spouse and I could be in a better financial position. Because of that my kids can have a better piece of pie than I did but now that pie is getting sent to someone else. I want my kids to have their pie!

[Anonymous]

My question is how long does the kid have to go to the shitty school?

Lets say I transfer some crap school in a low income neighborhood. All I need is an address. Can kid go from Bullis or Landon School and transfer to local crappy DC school and all at once be desired?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can not believe how many of you affluent advantaged people are now online rallying against this. Have you no shame? As you no empathy? Have you no understanding? This is not designed to hurt your kids, but to help other kids.

I do have empathy for others but what about my family? I am the only in my family's generation to go to college (local state u while working). I waited to have kids so my spouse and I could be in a better financial position. Because of that my kids can have a better piece of pie than I did but now that pie is getting sent to someone else. I want my kids to have their pie!

Your kids have the pie already! They have a stable home life, parents who are engaged and emotionally/physically present, presumably support in areas where they struggle and enrichment in areas where they excel.

Presumably they don't need to work after school, or babysit younger siblings while you and your partner work a third shift.

They have healthy food and clean water.

They have a veritable pie buffet. Congratulations!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My question is how long does the kid have to go to the shitty school?

Lets say I transfer some crap school in a low income neighborhood. All I need is an address. Can kid go from Bullis or Landon School and transfer to local crappy DC school and all at once be desired?

Maybe, but their transcript would still come from Landon and you are still a rich person in a rich neighborhood. But...yeah, send your child the message that they can't cut it without totally disrupting their educational flow. I'm sure that will go well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
That's a terrible idea, because being educated in a wealthy district does not entirely cancel out physical, mental, or family issues that the student can struggle with.

Example: we live in a wealthy area and my son has learning disabilities. If we disclose his learning disabilities, it will hurt his college application. It's not fair that he should get an additional ding just because of his address.

Plus, we're Asian. Another ding.

Boo hoo. You’re the worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's to stop a kid from lying about income to College Board? Many kids may not actually even know an accurate answer.

I would tell my child things not to report unless it was mandatory. I don’t want to give my kid a HHI number anyway.

Did you read the article? They are using the median income of your neighborhood, not your family income.

Nope. The article is behind a paywall. If you insist on posting paywall articles, please give enough info for people to discuss, or at the very least, don’t get snarky when they don’t know. I pay for the NYT and WaPo. I’m not also paying for the WSJ to participate in this discussion.

I know you already self report stuff like parents education.

I didn't post the article and found a link to another article that wasn't behind a paywall. Read or do some research before you post.