SAT Score Inflation

Applying to College
1

<p>Dartmouth reports that "Of the total applicants, about 2,200 students had received an 800 on either the verbal or math portions of the SAT, more than the total number of students ultimately admitted."</p>

<p>What does this say about the value of the SAT? 800s were once rarities. With so many perfect scores now, and so many above 700 on each section, it seems the test is losing its value for choosing applicants at the top schools. Maybe that's good. Maybe not. Maybe they need a tougher test.</p>

2

<p>Doesn't sound right to me.</p>

3

<p>Considering the SAT results are curved, that sorta destroys your argument completely.</p>

<p>Maybe it's just that more students are taking the SAT than ever?</p>

4

<p>they are curved, but when you get to an extreme of a curve it's imperfections arise. </p>

<p>When you think about it, if 1100 perfect scorers apply to dartmouth, this would satisfy their claim. </p>

<p>I also believe it's because people are taking the SAT more than twice, and have more shots at 800's (particularly because the people who take SAT's multiple times seem to also be the peole most likely to get high scores)</p>

5

<p>They recentered the curve in 1994 to raise scores.</p>

6

<p>The 1994 re-centering basically raised avg verbal scores by ~ 70 points, but there was only a minimal < 5 point change to math. The reason for this was to try to re-establish the national avg at 500M 500V.</p>

7

<p>i think they should let you take the SAt ONLY twice... (at a maximum) also, highest composite from one sitting should be taken not highest from each section...</p>

8

<p>I think they should let you take it as many times as you want but make it a lot tougher.</p>

9

<p>30 years ago most people took the SAT completely cold, and just one time. As you can imagine between that and the recentering an 800 truly was a rarity --a 1500 on two parts very unusual. Between studying, prep courses, and multiple sittings, not to mention extra time for many, these things are no longer rare at all.</p>

10

<p>The New SAT is harder, because only about 100 people got 2400's on it this year, whereas 600 people got 1600's on the old SAT's per year.
Also, Dartmouth is one of the most selective colleges in the nation, and its applicant pool is self-selecting.</p>

11

<p>"The New SAT is harder"</p>

<p>It's not that it's any harder; it's just more difficult to write three perfect sections than it is to write two.</p>

12

<p>subjective Q's always lead to more errors than objective ones... in new SAt u have Grid-ins and an essay</p>

13

<p>You always had grid-ins...</p>

14

<p>grid-ins aren't subjective.... there isn't someone sitting there thinking 'hmmm.... 7 sounds like a nice answer, so it's right....'.</p>

15

<p>Making the SAT "tougher" isn't going to do anything. It's still a relative measure.</p>

16

<p>Maybe top students should submit GRE scores too.</p>