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Discuss “Colleges may consider SAT scores optional”

A new research study finds that dropping standardized test scores will lead to increased percentages of minority and disadvantaged students admitted to college.

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Comment Matt
Apr 07, 2009 at 01:04 PM

The last line of this article is very misleading (likely intentionally). There has been plenty of discussion about making the SAT optional at other schools. The buzz-word is "holistic admissions criteria." Discussions on the matter have been characterized by one very predictable trend. The elite universities have entertained the idea, but never with any intention of jeopardizing their admissions standards, while the teeming masses of second rate universities have bemoaned the use of any objective standard. The general belief among these second rate universities is that they can never compete unless the objective standards are replaced with an entirely subjective measure, which will allow these schools to confidently declare they they are now the elite universities with the highest caliber students. The idea of destroying objective measures is not a new one, but its application to college admissions is especially regrettable given the immediate and detrimental consequences it would have on the quality of education for all concerned.

Comment Gene
Apr 06, 2009 at 08:26 AM

Wow, talk about studying the obvious.

Of course dropping standardized test scores increases the percentage of underrepresented minorities, they are underrepresented for precisely that reason.

The end result is a reduction in the number of successful minorities in college. Whites remain more or less unaffected.

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