Perhaps those centers do not want to bother with offering the SAT. They are usually for-profit. And cheating concerns would make variable timing difficult to administer.
The test fees for graduate tests were much higher than for the SAT, IME. GRE, GMAT and LSAT all cost $200-300 versus the SAT’S $55.
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The volume of test takers for GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc. is also much lower than for the SAT.
Perhaps they need to increase the price in California to support the private testing facilities.
Most California kids targeting OOS colleges should be able to afford to pay $100+/test. Sure, that hurts teh low income kids, but they are already hurt as few testing sites are available. CB could still offer fee waivers/discounts for the really low income. Raise the test fee to $150 for full pay and apply $50 to subsidize the fee waivers for low income kids.
I think the prices are high.
Our state has everyone take the SAT during school hours…required (of course you can get a waiver). One reason was so that all kids would be able to actually take the test at no charge to the kids (and yes, I know our taxes are paying for that).
Of course, in California, the schools probably don’t care much about this since the public universities there are test blind.
It would certainly be the most equitable solution.
Equitable for whom?
Raise everyone’s taxes/cut existing education programs for every student so only a few percent of the high school grads that need the tests can attend a sleep-away college out of state? Force a half a million kids to take a test every year for no reason?
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Citizens of many states have decided to offer the school day test to all to provide an opportunity for all of their students to demonstrate achievement and perhaps qualify for college admission or scholarships nationwide.
Citizens of California have decided not to do so, and not to permit test results to be used in public u admissions. That is certainly their right, but it seems odd not to correlate that decision to the resulting difficulty in finding test sites there, and the inevitable inequality in who manages to get a test. Few states force students to take any test. If students don’t attend school/take the free test, in most places they can still graduate high school if otherwise qualified.
Point of correction: one CA judge ruled that standardized tests were disallowed as a CA public college admissions metric. California citizens, college faculty, and prospective college students did not vote on the issue.
In my state, the SAT replaced the state mastery tests for grade 11 students. So really, it was a wash cost wise. And the data supports that.
I will say…it’s not easy anywhere I know of to get a seat for the SAT at another school here…or even nearby. And that didn’t used to be the case.
If the decision was not appealed by the duly elected state district attorney, then that was presumably the popular decision.
Communities do have some agency in these decisions. Parents ( and others) do hold local school boards accountable in many places for providing ( or not providing) expected services.
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This OP story is about a bunch of kids and families who signed up for tests, paid for them and showed up only to have them cancelled because the CB contracted a location with crap facilities.
Has nothing to do with communities failing to take ownership of the issue.
(Post edited by moderator)
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Reminder that debate is not permitted.
Further posts will be deleted without comment.
Please folks, lets keep this thread open.
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Copy that.
“WHY WON’T THE DAMN GAME LOAD?! THIS WIFI SUCKS!” may frighten and/or shock my hotel floor/wing neighbors…
What’s worse is when they actually charge you extra for WiFi… and it still doesn’t work.
So yeah, having a thousand kids pack a hotel is just asking for mayhem.
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But we won’t
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As Stanford now requires the test, perhaps more sites will open up. At least near Stanford
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I had originally secured a spot in Santa Barbara for June 1. We live in Northern California. When someone posted on the Parent of Class of 2025 that more seats had been released, I was able to grab something only an hour away.
Also, you have to click through 15 -20 pages of demographic questions every time you want to check again for open slots on the CB site.
And now Stanford will be requiring the SAT. Have they addressed this issue happening in their own backyard?
Stanford is not making my child’s list, but your point stands. I bet the wifi at Stanford can handle a few hundred instant sign-ons better than the Marriott in Oakland. I wonder if they’ll make a move to open up their facilities to help with accessibility, since they believe the standardized testing is a really important admission component. I wonder…
And there is clearly a huge equity issue as a lot of Northern Californian students simply aren’t able to afford and plan a weekend in Santa Barbara (or Las Vegas or Dallas or wherever) to take this now required test. Palo Alto would be tricky for many, but at least there is a Caltrain to get there and you wouldn’t need to stay over night in a hotel.
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