<p>so I was just talking with my friends about this and one person argued that with the ACT or SAT your scores are evaluated within the context of your race <em>sometimes</em>. such as "that's a great score for a hispanic person" or "for an Asian student that is a relatively low score" </p>
<p>I disagreed, but maybe I can see his point....not really though. what do you guys think, I'm curious ?
discuss!</p>
<p>test scores are just a single data point along with ethnicity for SOME colleges. For the vast majority of colleges in the USA, people are admitted solely based on GPA and test scores.</p>
<p>Test scores and ethnicity are two different parameters. For URM, there may be a small benefit that one may be accepted with slightly lower test scores. But it is not like adjusting the test scores based on ethnicity. Also, the race factor vary from school to school.</p>
<p>^ I see where you are coming from on that</p>
<p>Since test scores highly correlate with parents income, the score would usually be seen within the context of your parents’ income (ie, a 1500 for a kid whose parents could pay for prep classes and who took the test 3 times isn’t worth the same as a 1500 single sitting for a kid who isn’t a native speaker of English and whose family can"t afford to have him take prep classes or to take the test more than once). Race doesn’t factor at that point.
However for highly selective colleges, it may come into play with all other things being equal.
Scores don’t matter <em>that</em> much for these super selective colleges, mostly they’ll look at everything you did, scores being only a small part: whether you won a regional or national award, whether you’re a legacy, whether you’re a recruited athlete, whether you are in the top 5 in your school or attending a top performing school (in which case you could be ranked lower), etc, etc, etc, etc</p>
<p>I like your point about income correlating to the ACT. I have friends whose parents have spent thousands of dollars (not exaggerating) on tutors to get a high score, IMO doesn’t seem totally fair to the person who used all the resources he could find and afford on his own, independently </p>
<p>but aren’t most schools need blind and won’t see your income? I don’t remember typing my parents income in the common app</p>
<p>You type your parent’s profession, education and college/grad school names, so admission officers have a pretty good idea.
Furthermore, most schools are NOT need blind. Some are need blind but do not meet need. Some are need aware. The most selective are both need blind and 100% need, but the majority aren’t. Public universities are need blind, in that they admit whoever meets their criteria (and for many, those are numericals - only the top public universities aren’t, such as UBC, UCLA, UMighican, UNC-CH, UVA…) but then they may not meet your financial need if you’re in-state, and, if you’re out of state, they won’t meet your financial need. Some highly selective private LACSs/universities are basically need blind, and only need aware for borderline applicants and students on the waitlist. Pretty no one who needs a lot of financial aid gets off the waitlist.</p>
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<p>I would not be surprised if most schools are need blind, but do not meet need. Examples would be all of the open admission community colleges that are trivially need blind, but give no financial aid of their own. Or the moderately and less selective universities that just admit by a formula of GPA, rank, and/or test scores.</p>
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<p>The UCs, given their apparent liking for overcoming adversity, might be indirectly need aware in the reverse of the usual direction (i.e. some favorable treatment of those from lower income backgrounds). They meet need for California residents (although with a relatively high student contribution of $8,500 to $9,500) but not non-residents (no financial aid coverage of the $23,000 non-resident additional tuition).</p>
<p>^There are few, if any, universities in the U.S. that do not consider race along with test scores, grades, and that other unimportant fluff; they are legally obligated to.</p>
<p>^ interesting.
so colleges, by law, must consider your scores along with your ethnicity?
i guess this makes sense with affirmative action</p>
<p>No, that’s not how it works.
In fact in some states they’re legally obligated NOT to.
Most colleges are numerical. They only look at a GPAXSAT/ACT combo OR class rank, with a little for other circumstances.
Highly selective colleges craft a class and function differently. If you want to know more, read <em>The Gatekeepers</em> by Steinberg.</p>
<p>Preposterous! People are inventing inequities as a scapegoat to overcome a bad score. Next it will be the - I got a perfect score but still did not get in excuse.</p>
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<p>Actually, a lot of universities are required not to consider race, and many others admit by just a GPA/rank/test-score formula anyway.</p>
<p>to the OP - it looks like your getting some mixed answers.
but i believe you were right in your original argument, and your friend was wrong.</p>