Whats Wrong with the SAT

Parents Forum
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<p>With the problems the recent fisaco with the SAT
<a href="http://collegetalk.wordpress.com/2006/06/10/whats-wrong-with-the-sat/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://collegetalk.wordpress.com/2006/06/10/whats-wrong-with-the-sat/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>What do you think about standardized tests as more and more colleges are opting not to require them?</p>

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<p>Does anyone agree</p>

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<p>it's primarily a marketing ploy by schools who want to move up in the rankings. By going test optional, they hope to recieve more apps, AND, their published scores will go up since low scoring kids will obviously not submit them.</p>

<p>Think about it another way -- colleges already have the power to disregard test scores in favor of other items in the app, even if they are submitted. Thus, they can be test-optional at the Committee review level if they choose to do so.</p>

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<p>That's a very good point. Every college uses multiple sources of information, in some unknown weighting, to make admission decisions. </p>

<p>I don't see any colleges at the top level of desirability relying less on test scores. Rather, there seems to be increasing use of SAT II scores and (implicitly) AP scores by the most selective colleges. To be sure, the SAT I is a fallible test designed by fallible human beings to evaluate other fallible human beings, but high school grades and counselor recommendations and interviews and personal essays are all fallible indications of readiness for college too, so I think the entrance tests are here to stay in some form or another.</p>