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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
[quote]Oh please. All the tutoring in the world isn't going to get a kid a perfect or near-perfect SAT score.
 
There is a correlation between income and test results, but it's not because of test prep. Any sociologist will tell you that it's because of family environment -- hearing big words from an early age, being taken to museums, traveling, having lots of books in the house, the whole package. [/quote]

Do not not believe the dumb sociologist you read.  In every wealthy community in America the family environment includes lots of tutoring, test prep, Princeton and Kaplan review, summer test prep and multiple attempts at the SAT (besides [b]travel, books and enrichment in school).  [/b]In poor communities in America this type of prep and multiple attempts at SAT is not common.  In addition, it is uncommon for folk from poor communities in America to get accommodations for taking the SAT.  Accommodation for taking these exams (extra time, small rooms etc) is endemic in wealthy communities in America.  The College Board will provide interested parties with this information ... not the out of touch sociologist.

[/quote]

Sorry, but you're wrong. Test prep alone might raise SAT scores by 200, but it won't raise a 1500 to 2300. Nor do kids go from 1500 to 2300 because they got to take the SATs a 2nd or 3rd time.

The rich-poor gap you're rightly concerned about is a factor, but it's more because of the enrichment you mention. The kids who get 2300 are benefiting from a lifetime of living in educated families who use big words, travel, and send their kids to music lessons and good schools. Which is a problem society needs to address, but society would be making a mistake if it went after the narrow problem of just test prep.

And FWIW, the College Board would never confirm your point, as you claim. The College Board is all for prepping by familiarizing yourself with the test and maybe practicing some algebra questions, but they deny that big changes can be made through test prep. Think of it from their point of view: if test prep can lead to gains of 800 or more points, then their test is simply a measure of family income instead of college readiness or intelligence - which would destroy their whole purported mission and put them out of business.[/quote]

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