Reply to The Misguided War on the SAT

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Of course more data points are better than fewer.  But the problem with the SAT/ACT is the arms race mentality.  [b]People seem to think there is a huge difference between a 1500 and a 1550 or a 33/34.  There isn’t. [/b]The best use of those tests is as a confirmatory point of readiness to gauge GPA, not as a competition in and of itself.  The 4.0 gpa kid with a 1020 might not be really ready for Hopkins. But the difference between the 1400 and 1470 is just noise.

Both those exams test reading comprehension and pretty basic math concepts  in esoteric ways that have not very much to do with actual academic work.  Colleges should decide what they think an appropriate level is for them and just have College Board/ACT to tell them whether the applicant is over or under it. [/quote]

Maybe not a "huge difference" but there is a difference.    And there IS a huge difference between a 33/34 ACT, and a 21/22 ACT.  When a student goes "test optional" the admissions committee/officer doesn't know if the student got a 34 or a 21.[/quote]
DP. +1

This is the problem with test optional, that colleges do not know if a TO student is just below the 25th percentile or not even in the ballpark of enrolled students. Massive difference. And they've now got both types on campus.[/quote]

Ok. But did you actually read my comment? I said colleges SHOULD use standardized tests, but only know if the applicant is in certain ranges, not the precise score.  So they can distinguish between the 21 ACT and the 33 but not between a 32 and a 33.   The arms race mentality of parents asking if their 1550 SAT kid should retake is unhealthy and an unproductive way to use HS time.  If, eg, Brown were to say we consider a 1400 to be well prepared, then you’ll know the if you’re at 1380 to take again.  And at 1450, don’t.  [/quote]

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