Reply to SAT/ACT single most predictive factor at Yale

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]So, I listened to the whole thing, and there’s some nuance here. A couple of things:

1. He says test scores are particularly predictive on the math side, which seems consistent with what some other schools have said.

2. It’s clear that having test scores makes the academic threshold process much easier—it allows them to say, “yup, test score backs up transcript, this candidate moves on.” So it makes sense that they’d want the scores! And it presumably means (as has been said multiple times) that a very strong transcript with very strong rigor is even more important for TO students to get past the academic screen. Seems clear that good test scores can be really helpful for a borderline academic case.

3. He makes the point that once past the academic screen, test scores are not part of the admissions committee conversation. This helps debunk the oft-repeated idea that if a school is making a decision between two students, the one with the scores/higher scores is obviously going to be selected. Committee is holistic.

4. At the end, he says “I believe test optional admissions is here to stay.” He recommends that current juniors take a test and see how they do to keep options open but also not see it has terribly high stakes since TO is likely to continue. [/quote]

Op here. 
1. They said it’s most predictive factor period. As I wrote above, it was also said that “Yale found the math score to be particularly predictive for persistence as a science major.” Dartmouth was already on record for that. 
2. Agree
3. I wrote, “Not surprisingly, it sounded like although the scores are very important as a threshold matter for determining if student can succeed academically, it sounded like they aren’t that important once that threshold is crossed. This makes sense as they have too many able applicants.” I think this was Yale that addressed this. However, if you look at Scattergrams for different colleges, I don’t think everyone approaches the same way. I wouldn’t extrapolate too broadly. Plus we know they look more closely at math score when they look at relevant prospective major. Interestingly, Dartmouth has discussed at other times using AI in the process. I think it’s likely this meshes well with this threshold score approach, but with some adjustment for context. 
4. Clearly TO is here to stay at broad level. They definitely didn’t say that for their institutions, however. The question is whether these institutions keep it. Clearly, they aren’t big fans and it seems to be undermining their diversity efforts. I think they’d cut it if they could. I suspect California students are one of their bigger obstacles. Well, and that they don’t want to decrease application numbers. [/quote]

Re: 4, I found the exchange between the Yale and Dartmouth deans telling: the Yale dean said TO was here to stay and spoke at length about why. The Dartmouth dean said, “I thought you were going to say that TO is here to stay but that test required would be coming back at more institutions.” And the Yale dean said nothing in response. So I’d guess that Dartmouth is going test preferred/required next year, while Yale will stay TO. Your California guess is probably a good one (and I’m guessing has a much bigger impact on Yale than Dartmouth, which gets far fewer applications overall, and I’d guess comparatively few from the west coast.)[/quote]

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