<p>Hunt: As far as I know, Caltech admissions does not track SAT scores by gender. The differences between SAT scores of our applicants and students are so small as to be meaningless, and the SAT score on its own isn’t really all that enlightening to a student’s abilities. Unfortunately, there are so many grading systems that tracking grades isn’t all that useful. That leaves tracking class rank, and again, there the differences are not that pronounced: 99% of applicants were in the top ten percent of their classes in high school (this according to more recent data than that on the CDS of 05, which as 93%).</p>
<p>For the most part, I go on what the rest of students here go on: the stated practices of the admissions office. Interestingly enough, the admissions committee voted in 2003 to implement some sort of AA policy: it was voted down 23:1 (this according to Joe Jewell, who was on the admissions committee back then). </p>
<p>I totally understand that to believe Caltech doesn’t practice AA, you have to trust that the admissions office, students, and profs are not lying. (The admissions committee is composed of 1/3 undergrads, 1/3 admissions staff, and 1/3 profs). As somewhat of a cynic, I don’t know that if the positions were reversed I would trust me, but then again we don’t have much to gain from making a controversial stance public if we’re not telling the truth.</p>
<p>So long story short, I don’t have any hard numbers to back up my statement, but I’ll stand by it anyway. <em>sheepish grin</em></p>
<p>Coldwind: I’m not going to bother responding. My previous posts are enough, and I don’t want to derail the thread any further.</p>