admissioninsider

Emberjed, I completely agree with your points about IQ and apologize if it seemed that I was speaking to the contrary. I also agree that all standardized tests are inherently flawed and cannot be perfect. This is a large factor in the shift away from the importance of these type of tests within the admission process.

For students interested in test-optional schools and more information on standardized testing, fairtest.org is an excellent resource.

DDHM

admissioninsider: I do not envy your job! It must be very difficult. I am curious as to what you do if a school's profile is woefully inadequate and gives you no information on the student body's GPA/grade/SAT/ACT/AP distribution or how GPA is calculated. Would you contact such a school to request grade and standardized test distribution data?

I believe our school's grades probably average a C, heavily caused by most teachers' being very harsh graders; however, the school refuses to put any information on the Profile to this effect, nor does it rank. When I requested for this data to be added to the Profile, the GC said, "no college has ever asked for grade distribution charts."

By the way, a funny note on cultural bias. My dd missed a standardized test math question which assumed the student knows how layaway works financially. If we don't have the money, we don't buy it. She had no idea what "layaway" is!

Beliavsky

Studies have consistently shown that the SAT is not biased against blacks or Hispanics in the sense of underpredicting their grades in college relative to whites with the same test scores. Group differences do NOT prove cultural bias. By grade 12 it appears that some groups do have higher "scholastic aptitude" than others on average. Admissions officers don't want to face reality.

muckdogs07

AdmissionsInsider or anyone else,

Does anyone have an idea why colleges do not use AP/IB scores in the admissions process (at least for those students who go to HS's with such programs). I know a few like NYU that allow AP scores to substitute for standardized tests, but not many. Most seem not to even care about AP scores and at most may look at the scores in admissions if you send it to them. Yet, these same colleges give college credit for 5's and sometimes 4's and 3's, thus in most cases more typical of what college students will encounter than either the SAT or ACT.

momofmusician17

My son is profoundly gifted and did better on the ACT. Who knows? Could depend on how he felt the day he took the test.

ThereseR

momofmusician17,

How old is your son, and how (and when) did you notice that he was so talented?

shastad2

Hi muckdog- I have to ask what area you live in and the name of your tutor- sounds like he /she idid an excellent job.

minaahn16

i dont think thats necessarily true because one can work hard to obtain a higher score.

muckdogs07

Hi shastad2,

Northern Virginia, and the tutor's name was Peter Ufland.

FullMetal511

Much of the ACT, at least, is not terribly difficult. What makes the ACT so difficult is the time crunch. The thing is, some students don't have the information processing speed that other students have, however a exceptionally bright.

Information process IS a part of most IQ tests. However, it is ONLY one part of an IQ test.

With that being said, had a friend in high school who took the ACT the first time and got a 21. Not bad, but not terribly impressive at the same time. Went to a psychologist to get tested for ADHD. When he took the test, the psychologist noticed he had a significantly low visual processing and information processing score.

He ended up being diagnosed with ADHD and getting put on Meds. A few months later he took the ACT with reasonable accommodations (separate room, time and a half). Ended up scoring a 33!

emberjed

>Studies have consistently shown that the SAT is not biased against blacks or Hispanics in the sense of underpredicting their grades in college relative to whites with the same test scores. Group differences do NOT prove cultural bias. By grade 12 it appears that some groups do have higher "scholastic aptitude" than others on average. Admissions officers don't want to face reality.

I wasn't saying this. I was quoting it. That's why I put a ">" sign at the start of it, just as I am with your message now.

blahblah9393

There's a r=.92 correlation between ACT composite and SAT M+CR.

redeye41

If standardized tests are not considered "fair" at more and more schools and so they are going test optional, why do so many of these schools still rely on them in handing out merit aid?

perazziman

Son's score

2008: SAT 1200
2010:PSAT 173
2011: SAT 2000
2011:PSAT 219


2012: SAT Pending.

However I do not believe that a GPA elminiates biases that exist in standardized test scores. In son's case the standardized tests are the only thing that will save him in admission. As the parent of a Hispanic who moved from Hispanic schools to a mainstream high school, I ask, who can say the teachers/ admn at a mainstream school who grant GPAs have less biases than the standardized test makers?

Shaggy007

SAT is definitely better for IQ purposes, but is nowhere near perfect.