Anonymous wrote:And if it were designed to be truly meritocratic, entrance exams for elite colleges would look nothing like the SATs.

What's your evidence that entrance exams of any kind are "truly meritocratic"?

Anonymous wrote:Elite colleges, in many cases, are private colleges and need money. And the tuition they charge means, inevitably, people with wealth will be significantly over-represented in these schools. To the extent that private school kids get preference over rich public school kids, that’s because (a) their parents have demonstrated willingness/ability to pay for education and/or (b) the particular school has a track record of providing well-prepared students who do well at the college, contribute $, encourage others to attend.

I’m not saying it’s fair. Just pointing out that the system is more capitalistic than meritocratic. And if it were designed to be truly meritocratic, entrance exams for elite colleges would look nothing like the SATs.

The part that is bolded above (well prepared students), while may be true it doesn't negate that some public school students are also at least equally well prepared. Unless students from those public schools are recruited in sufficient numbers consistently year after year, those public schools have no way of producing track record. Also, only the bolded part (well prepared students) has something to do with holistic approach touted by Harvard and other elite colleges. So either Harvard and other elite colleges drop the mask of holistic approach and come out clean as to how biased their admission process truly is or make the process as unbiased as it can be. The courts will certainly give their verdict in time and we shall see how that will affect the composition of incoming students to these elite universities.

Elite colleges, in many cases, are private colleges and need money. And the tuition they charge means, inevitably, people with wealth will be significantly over-represented in these schools. To the extent that private school kids get preference over rich public school kids, that’s because (a) their parents have demonstrated willingness/ability to pay for education and/or (b) the particular school has a track record of providing well-prepared students who do well at the college, contribute $, encourage others to attend.

I’m not saying it’s fair. Just pointing out that the system is more capitalistic than meritocratic. And if it were designed to be truly meritocratic, entrance exams for elite colleges would look nothing like the SATs.

Anonymous wrote:Many good colleges are in fact now test optional so yes, SATs and ACTs don’t matter as much for certain students. The number one indicator of success on standardized tests is money.[u] Colleges are well aware of that and that’s why they don’t care about them any more.

How so true is the bolded and underlined sentence. If only the elite colleges realize that the number one indicator of a student's entry to a private school is parents' affordability and drop the extra weight they give to those students in the admission process!

Calculus? Multi variable? Diffy q? Easy A’s round 2!

Anonymous wrote:It is on you for choosing the wrong classes.

So much this. Any half-decent college gives you tons of options, even in freshman year.

Anonymous wrote:I wonder whether your schools will soon drop the SAT as well, saying that it only represents a kind of rote learning they don’t do at your schools. And that it too represents kowtowing to the College Board.

University of Chicago announced its dropping ACT/SAT testing requirement

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:when you you have to read Dantes Inferno and the Good Earth twice in 4 years and write a similar 20 pager? easy.

It is on you for choosing the wrong classes. University can only do so much!

+1. Dummy.

Anonymous wrote:when you you have to read Dantes Inferno and the Good Earth twice in 4 years and write a similar 20 pager? easy.

It is on you for choosing the wrong classes. University can only do so much!

And Faust was so much better the third time around. Half the class was smiling when seeing the English Lit syllabus.

when you you have to read Dantes Inferno and the Good Earth twice in 4 years and write a similar 20 pager? easy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a grip, college classes aren’t repeats of APs. Do some research.

Oh yeah?

My first two years were easy, had to read many of same novels as in my private high school and all the same math class as well. some large class sizes versus my private high school classes. teachers better in my upper school than in college professors in most cases.
Junior year engineering was when I had to start studying and doing 100% new material.
No worries. I had paid internships each summer, played a club sport, joined a frat and had a very fun time all 4 years.

go tigers.

And this matters because....?? Go read a new book.

Anonymous wrote:agree, brilliant. well-played into the pockets of college admission committees and tuition coffers.

Except that a 5 on the AP didn't actually get you credit at many colleges and universities (but merely placement in a different class), so this recent move made no difference at these places.

Anonymous wrote:Get a grip, college classes aren’t repeats of APs. Do some research.

Oh yeah?

My first two years were easy, had to read many of same novels as in my private high school and all the same math class as well. some large class sizes versus my private high school classes. teachers better in my upper school than in college professors in most cases.
Junior year engineering was when I had to start studying and doing 100% new material.
No worries. I had paid internships each summer, played a club sport, joined a frat and had a very fun time all 4 years.

go tigers.

Sure, drop anything quantitative so COLLEGE AdComs can work more of their magic when crafting bespoke (IE DEMOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE) classes each year.
Brilliant!

Meanwhile, any rigorous private school Admits can repeat their same classes again there for 4 of the 8 semesters whilst paying $70,000 twice.
Brilliant model again!

**

agree, brilliant. well-played into the pockets of college admission committees and tuition coffers.