Make a Fearless Prediction: How will colleges use the SAT/ACT for the class of 2026?

[ucbalumnus]

@Happytimes2001

For academics, there is only knowledge. You know the answer or you don’t.

True in many standardized tests. Not true in many types of academic work. Examples:

• An engineering design problem with multiple solutions, based on which constraints are considered more important.
• A math theorem with more than one possible proof.
• An interpretation of history based on which records and evidence are available, which can be dependent on where one directs research effort when there are not unlimited resources available for it.

Indeed, academic research at the advanced level (PhD level) is that which seeks to find currently-unknown solutions to unsolved problems. In other words, those working on the problems do not yet know what the “right answer” is.

[Tigerle]

@dfbdfb

… it does seem that it doesn’t matter what the rigor of the high school curriculum was, as long as the rigor met the minimum necessary to be at college preparatory level (e.g., a decent amount of algebra).

The caveat: Students who end up in remedial math or writing courses tend to not succeed, no matter their HS GPA. Thus, it seems that there is a necessary minimum amount of HS preparation needed for success in college…

But - but - but that sounds like a case for standardised tests that assess, at low cost, a baseline of students‘ academic readiness regarding algebra and facility with the written wird that colleges could have set as an easily to determine threshold depending on their idea of rigour, though not placing too much importance on it beyond that…sort of what they used to do all this time?

[skieurope]

The bickering continues. I think the thread has run its course.