NO SATs or ACTs???? | The Boneyard

NO SATs or ACTs????

gtcam

gtcam

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Just heard that those seeking undergrad admissions to UConn won't have to be required to take the SATs or ACTs over next 3 years. Those damn SATs stopped me from getting into 2 or 3 schools (I'm a math idiot) in the early 70s. Confused as to why can't students take these tests under some type of controlled environment. Wish I had this opportunity.
Just wondering how that will impact overall enrollment in terms of numbers and quality.
 
gtcam said:
Just heard that those seeking undergrad admissions to UConn won't have to be required to take the SATs or ACTs over next 3 years. Those damn SATs stopped me from getting into 2 or 3 schools (I'm a math idiot) in the early 70s. Confused as to why can't students take these tests under some type of controlled environment. Wish I had this opportunity.
Just wondering how that will impact overall enrollment in terms of numbers and quality.
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That's a good thing. SATs and ACTs were already dying. They're a better test of privilege than intelligence. Now it's accelerated.
 
Many schools have done this already. And many schools were already test optional (FairTest | The National Center for Fair and Open Testing). Some colleges have been saying that they don't need a standardized test to assess a student's credentials and that the scores on these tests are not a great predictor of success in college. I expect you'll continue to see these standardized tests become less utilized in the future.

www.bostonglobe.com

Colleges are making the SAT and ACT optional now. Will that stick? - The Boston Globe

The coronavirus may hasten the end of required tests for college admissions.
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com
 
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The state of Connecticut gives the SAT for free now, once per year for juniors. I doubt it’s going away. Public schools have basically kept SAT alive.
 
krinklecut said:
That's a good thing. SATs and ACTs were already dying. They're a better test of privilege than intelligence. Now it's accelerated.
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Eh, it's just gonna shift things more to the privileged. Those kids from 'good' schools (ie wealthy people) will be even more favored now, as there's not balance for the 'lesser' kids to prove themselves.
 
sledog said:
Did Lori Laughlin's kid ever get into USC? or anywhere?
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Why bother? This whole thing made her famous on her own. She now has 1.3 million insta followers and probably clears $250-500k per year
 
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intlzncster said:
Eh, it's just gonna shift things more to the privileged. Those kids from 'good' schools (ie wealthy people) will be even more favored now, as there's not balance for the 'lesser' kids to prove themselves.
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It is going to be this, on steroids. How can getting rid of SAT's possibly help those from disadvantaged or even middle class backgrounds?
 
I'm a teacher and do a lot of SAT/ACT tutoring in a privileged CT community so I will feel the pinch. Kids with borderline grades will still take take it to put them over the top. Kids who kill it in the classroom will pass.
 
I won't pretend to know which way favors the privileged more, what I do know is that this would have been very bad news for me going through the College application process. My standardized test scores carried my overall applicant portfolio and, frankly, I think they were a very strong indicator of my success as collegiate student. As a student I was built to succeed in collegiate class structures (less emphasis on busy-work/homework and greater emphasis on tests/projects) and I feel like my standardized test scores exhibited that potential to College Admissions offices.
 
intlzncster said:
Eh, it's just gonna shift things more to the privileged. Those kids from 'good' schools (ie wealthy people) will be even more favored now, as there's not balance for the 'lesser' kids to prove themselves.
Expand ...
goskis2018 said:
I won't pretend to know which way favors the privileged more, what I do know is that this would have been very bad news for me going through the College application process. My standardized test scores carried my overall applicant portfolio and, frankly, I think they were a very strong indicator of my success as collegiate student. As a student I was built to succeed in collegiate class structures (less emphasis on busy-work/homework and greater emphasis on tests/projects) and I feel like my standardized test scores exhibited that potential to College Admissions offices.
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There are several ways this plays out and all of them end up with those having money and access ending up better than those without.

As far as underprivileged kids being disaffected some state schools are going to a straight top 5 percent get in to first tier, the second 5 or 10 percent go second tier and the rest go to directional schools.
 
intlzncster said:
Eh, it's just gonna shift things more to the privileged. Those kids from 'good' schools (ie wealthy people) will be even more favored now, as there's not balance for the 'lesser' kids to prove themselves.
Expand ...
That's not necessarily true. PC was one of the first schools to get rid of them years ago and they have seen their diversity steadily increase because of it. It was the main driving factor in the decision to stop considering them. You are required to still submit results after you have been accepted and enrolled for college stack ranking data. They have seen about a 10% decrease in SAT/ACT scores and as of yet this has not affected ranking as any drop in this data point has seen an equal or greater increase in diversity scores on the various ranking platforms.
 
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gtcam said:
Just heard that those seeking undergrad admissions to UConn won't have to be required to take the SATs or ACTs over next 3 years. Those damn SATs stopped me from getting into 2 or 3 schools (I'm a math idiot) in the early 70s. Confused as to why can't students take these tests under some type of controlled environment. Wish I had this opportunity.
Just wondering how that will impact overall enrollment in terms of numbers and quality.
Expand ...

Yeah, my daughter had two SAT tests cancelled without notice. Looks like almost every school will have to be test optional next year. That will help some and hurt others. I certainly wish we hadn't spent a bunch of money on a prep course.

The main concerns I have are that we really now have very poor ability to know where a 2020-21 senior will get in. Even guidance counselors will be guessing as it will be new at most schools. Also, visits, will they happen at all? I hope so. Committing to go somewhere for four years without visiting isn't something I think they should have to do.
 
UConnTrumbull said:
The state of Connecticut gives the SAT for free now, once per year for juniors. I doubt it’s going away. Public schools have basically kept SAT alive.
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They aren't letting them take it. No mass gatherings.
 
Hard Take: Shift in UConn population from thinkers to drinkers. How Covid19 moved UConn from a top 25 public institution to the #1 party school in the nation. UConn is back to the Big East.
 
krinklecut said:
That's a good thing. SATs and ACTs were already dying. They're a better test of privilege than intelligence. Now it's accelerated.
Expand ...
So every priveleged kid does well on std tests? Didn’t know that. Figured there would be a range of scores. Is the correlation linear between level of privilege and scores? So the top 1% $$ Are all in the top 1% of test scores?
 
HuskyHawk said:
Yeah, my daughter had two SAT tests cancelled without notice. Looks like almost every school will have to be test optional next year. That will help some and hurt others. I certainly wish we hadn't spent a bunch of money on a prep course.

The main concerns I have are that we really now have very poor ability to know where a 2020-21 senior will get in. Even guidance counselors will be guessing as it will be new at most schools. Also, visits, will they happen at all? I hope so. Committing to go somewhere for four years without visiting isn't something I think they should have to do.
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Is this the first child of yours going through the college search? I've gone through this process (and it is a big process these days!) with both of my sons and was extensively involved. The SAT/ACT isn't as important as you would think. Other things a student has are much more important. Although my sons mostly looked at small liberal arts colleges and I will admit the bigger schools did place more emphasis on standardized test scores than the LACs.

I know when using Naviance the only quantitative data sets they can put on the graph are GPA and standardized test scores. It's impossible to analyze the extra curriculars and a student's involvement/leadership in those activities but they are just as important, if not more important, than standardized test scores.
 
HooperScooper said:
Is this the first child of yours going through the college search? I've gone through this process (and it is a big process these days!) with both of my sons and was extensively involved. The SAT/ACT isn't as important as you would think. Other things a student has are much more important. Although my sons mostly looked at small liberal arts colleges and I will admit the bigger schools did place more emphasis on standardized test scores than the LACs.

I know when using Naviance the only quantitative data sets they can put on the graph are GPA and standardized test scores. It's impossible to analyze the extra curriculars and a student's involvement/leadership in those activities but they are just as important, if not more important, than standardized test scores.
Expand ...

First and only. I am glad we started looking in the fall. She has good grades in all honors/AP classes at a private HS. So a good weighted GPA. Extracurricular are so-so, nothing great. No SAT may help her, or hurt her. We really don't know.

I am hoping we get some opportunity to visit colleges by late summer/fall. That was supposed to be a big activity for the family this summer (canceled a trip over April break).
 
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gtcam said:
Just heard that those seeking undergrad admissions to UConn won't have to be required to take the SATs or ACTs over next 3 years. Those damn SATs stopped me from getting into 2 or 3 schools (I'm a math idiot) in the early 70s. Confused as to why can't students take these tests under some type of controlled environment. Wish I had this opportunity.
Just wondering how that will impact overall enrollment in terms of numbers and quality.
Expand ...
I needed a 1000 to apply. Got a 970 and then a 980. Booo. SCSU it was.
 
krinklecut said:
That's a good thing. SATs and ACTs were already dying. They're a better test of privilege than intelligence. Now it's accelerated.
Expand ...
If these tests inherently favored the privileged, why did privilege kids parents pay huge sums of cash for others to take these tests for them?
 
Chonky said:
Same boat as you. I have a HS Junior who hasn’t taken the SAT yet. I think it would help her as she has solid grades but kinda lacking in extracurriculars. And she is generally good at standardized tests. They added a test date for September and if you had a class cancelled you get first dibs. But I’m not holding my breath.

I work for UConn so she gets the tuition waiver. So UConn is option A (Storrs) and B (Hartford). I’m quite anxious to see how it plays out for the class of 2021. I hope schools don’t go overboard on allowing deferred admissions. But in the end the schools are going to do all they can to stay fully enrolled given the uncertainty of college right now.

My biggest worry is UConn specific. Like after the Great Recession i think you will see a far greater demand for good old State U. Both as a better financial option and because parents will be more hesitant to send kids far away
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I am in Mass, so no dice. Kid visited UConn and wasn’t a fan. Too big too rural.

The good and the bad I suppose is that with admissions possibly changing she will get into Tufts, which she loved. The bad would be I’d then need to pay for it.
 
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