This is all consistent with the anecdotal data we’ve seen posted here on CC over the past year. Students who took the old SAT or ACT along with the new SAT were consistently getting higher scores on the former once the concordance was applied to the latter. The colleges are seeing this with the data they are receiving and in the case of Williams, stating it publicly. I suspect the concordance will be ignored moving forward.
From what I can tell from other early posts from colleges, new SAT scores were in fact lower than old SAT. So much for the concordance tables.
@bucketDad “I suspect the concordance will be ignored moving forward.”
Let’s hope so!!
Also, from NYU:
“The release of the new SAT in March 2016, however, suggests that we needed to act more conservatively and review a larger cohort of Early Decision candidates along with our Regular Decision applicant pool. If you were among the 400 or so deferred, here is some information that may be helpful to you”
@londondad @bucketDad we all hope so!
"Also, from NYU:
“The release of the new SAT in March 2016, however, suggests that we needed to act more conservatively and review a larger cohort of Early Decision candidates along with our Regular Decision applicant pool. If you were among the 400 or so deferred, here is some information that may be helpful to you”"
What do you think this means, that NYU is unsure on how to evaluate kids whose new SAT scores are marginal if they use the Concordance tables?
Hmm not too sure…
Maybe they found out that the new SAT scores they have don’t really match up with their normal applicant pool credentials, after converting the scores to the old one (using CB’s concordance table)? I think they can only decide how to interpret the new scores once they look at their regular app pool (which gives them more data points)?
I wonder if there are any effects from students who take the test early doing slightly better on whatever test vs. students who take it later. Perhaps those students were better informed about the change and decided they would do better on the old test or had access to test prep early or were naturally good test takers. Perhaps large colleges can look at scores and test dates from previous year’s applicants to get an idea about that. The effect might be small enough that you would need a lot of data points.
"I am not surprised and predicted that the new scores would be lower due to:
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fewer prep materials and cram courses would be ready for the 2016 new SAT;
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There are fewer chances for multiple test taking on the new test for super scoring;
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Less opportunities for cheating through getting recycled or actual old tests early."
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It’s also harder to get a good superscore for the new SAT
The superscore for the new SAT is derived from the highest of 2 sections: EBRW and Math while
the superscore for the old SAT is derived from the highest of 3 sections: CR, Math & Writing (if the
college uses writing to assess applicants)
@“Dean J” Is it possible for you to comment on the new SAT concordance table?
“4) It’s also harder to get a good superscore for the new SAT
The superscore for the new SAT is derived from the highest of 2 sections: EBRW and Math while
the superscore for the old SAT is derived from the highest of 3 sections: CR, Math & Writing (if the
college uses writing to assess applicants)”
I probably could have phrased this better but I stand by what I said earlier.
Basically for the old SAT there were kids who were taking the SAT (plus numerous PSATs) from 8th grade to senior year. With such a long testing history, it is easier to cherry-pick individual math, CR or writing scores and get a high superscore. For the new SAT for 2017 hs graduates, this opportunity did not exist. My kid had only 3 opportunities to take the new SAT before her EA apps (05/16, 06/16 and 10/16). Fortunately, my kid is extremely smart and did well. I am happy that the new SAT does favor these very bright kids who have more well-rounded lives and can take the SAT once or twice and still get a top score.
@londondad How does the new SAT favor bright kids with well-rounded lives?
Our S19 is definitely going to focus on the SAT. He’s taken a number of ACTs and cannot finish. He’s never had any problem finishing tests at school and has a schedule full of honors and AP classes. When he took a new SAT practice test, he finished with plenty of time and did extremely well even without studying. Hoping that there will be additional practice SATs available that he can use this summer to prep so that he can take the test in this upcoming fall of junior year and be done.
^ My point was slightly tongue in cheek. There are some schools that do not follow the concordance tables for old SAT and new SAT. My daughter ignored the old SAT and focused on her subject tests in autumn 2015 (which worked well) and then moved on to the SAT last winter as the first test given internationally was 05/16. I am hoping that this created for 2017 graduates a slightly more level playing field as these kids all had limited study aids at that time (Khan Academy etc) so the results of the first few SATs would hopefully favor the truly smart kids rather than the kids who have taken the old SAT for 4 or 5 years.
@homerdog -Also, you are following the right strategy for your kid. The ACT favors those who can work at top speed whereas the SAT has more difficult materlal. My kids are dyslexic but not enough to get extra time from the College Board so we stuck with the SAT in part due to the timing reason that you highlighted.
The concordance tables are said to ‘lower’ your score when comparing to the old SAT…that is due to no negative test points, and the vocab section missing.
But don’t be worried, the only thing that matters are percentiles.
For e.g, the 1460 SAT is now a 97th percentile.
When you use the table to convert it, it says 2090 in the old SAT, but that score was in the 95-96th percentile.
Which means that there are less applicants getting a 1460 or a ‘2090’ now than last year.
There is a much smaller number of studying materials and preparation exams for the new SAT.
That is why the concordance tables shouldn’t be trusted, but the percentiles should.
If you’re in the top 3%, don’t worry about any school.
Many schools have realized that SAT scores don’t guarantee a good candidate, so the SAT matters less and less every year, and maybe stands at 20-25% of your application (if you have a spike like a 1600 than of course it matters more).
They used to use the score just to be sure that you’ll graduate in time and attend the school without any trouble…now the CR section looks more like an IQ test rather than as an English aptitude test.
@elliotalderson- where are you getting that information, as I think it is completely incorrect. At the top schools, most of the viable candidates will have scores in the top percentiles (as it is comparing students to all students and also students taking the test - NOT students applying to any one school). That’s why the schools report scores, not percentiles, in their CDS. And as for having used the score to “:make sure you’ll graduate”- that’s also off. The most salient factor predicting the ability to graduate is the ability to pay for your college education.
Here’s again another proof that the concordance table sucks
“UVA’21 Early Action Testing/Rank (offers only)
Middle 50% OLD SAT score: 2020-2290
Middle 50% NEW SAT score: 1350-1500
Middle 50% ACT composite: 31-34
We use scores from each section in our review, but the reports on averages generate totals.”
If we use the concordance table to convert the New SAT to the Old SAT, the middle 50% would be 1900-2170
It seems clear that UVA recognized the concordance table was bogus based on the data collected from the applications. I’m guessing others will follow suit.
I tend to agree with @bucketDad. It appears that UVA which has holistic admissions chose the accepted kids and then helpfully provided data for which kids took ACT, New SAT and Old
SAT respectively. It also demonstrates that UVA did not use the Corcordance tables which I agree with. Those 3 tests are all different and the scores cannot be directly compared so it looks like UVA is doing the right thing!
Have any other Early Decision acceptances been released with NEW SAT statistics?
Yes, here it is for Williams: “old SAT averages of 731 in critical reading, 727 in math, and 725 in writing, and redesigned SAT averages of 724 in evidence based reading and writing and 720 in math.”
So the average for old SAT is 2180 (rounding up from 2176).
The average under the new SAT is 1450 (being generous, as the numbers actually add up to 1444.)
Under the CB concordance tables, 2180 = 1510, and 2080 = 1450.
http://communications.williams.edu/news-releases/12_12_2016_earlydecision/