NO SATs or ACTs????

[BPT2Storrs]

Based on this thread it seems as if the college admissions process is still as grueling as it was 15 years ago when I was in HS.

What I find troubling is that we still place this massive emphasis on college. It has caused costs to skyrocket for everyone, which has put many people (primarily the underprivileged and working class) in ridiculous debt. On the other side, we now fail to train anyone for work in the trades or manufacturing which are absolutely critical for our economy, thus causing those costs to also skyrocket due to the lack of skilled workforce. This impacts everyone.

Think of all the people in the workforce with college degrees, do all of those jobs and salaries justify the college investment? Is a degree really required for all of them? To all of you with careers, how much was learned in college v. on the job experience? I would assume a majority would say the latter.

SAT, ACT, the college admissions process, etc. are interesting topics to debate. As someone who has two degrees, I am not against college or the SAT, but as someone who had to work extremely hard and never had much luck with standardized testing I definitely tend to critique the system at times.

 

[HooperScooper]

Question.

What exactly can you learn in an SAT prep course that you can't gain by taking one abbreviated sample test? (I was of an era when these prep courses did not exist.)

Besides answering as many questions correctly as possible in the given time, what other arcane knowledge is being transferred in these courses that somehow trumps one's prior ten years of formal learning?

I have 2 sons who have had some tutoring for the SAT. There are definitely strategies to taking the test that are hard to pick up by yourself. Although there are some pretty good books these days that are helpful in teaching the tricks.

Many people don't like these standardized tests because it's not just a test of your mental abilities or what you've learned in school.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I came from a fairly poor background. Never tried very hard in school . I didn’t take the PSAT’s .I was not invited to the SAT prep classes and didn’t take the fall test. On a whim a teacher told me to sign up for the spring test. I was out until 2:00am the night before overslept and got to the test just as they were about to close the door . My SAT’s were higher than most of the kids that preped. So I’m sad to see them go. As they might have saved me.

 

[husky429]

Honestly, I asked a simple question, which you answered poorly so I followed up. Your above response is even poorer yet. I feel sorry for your students if this is the best you can do, and clearly understand why teaching is a job you can handle.



All this proves is that you are biased and wasted the time you spent on a MA (excluding the automatic pay increase teachers are given).



Then it seems you should be giving it the overwhelming importance in test results that it deserves.



Yes, that is exactly what I believe, man. It is just another in a long line of scams perpetrated by scammers on ignorant and desperate people.

Ok boomer

 

[dennismenace]

Colleges look at how involved and passionate you are in an extracurricular. They would rather see you getting heavily involved and take a leadership position in 1 or 2 things you like rather than a long list of extracurriculars just for the sake of having them on a resume. It makes sense. They want kids who will be future leaders and involved in things they like. They say there is a correlation between that and being successful in your career after college.

I don't think it has to be an either/or thing. If you have demonstrated academic proficiency in HS and on standardized tests you should also demonstrate involvement in extra-curicular activities. That used to be called a well rounded education. Social engineering and activist training are political (PC); not educational.