| Did you ever wonder what schools like Harvard think | | | | The College Board had to come up with something |
| about the admissions process? If you haven't been | | | | that would not only measure some of the "elements" |
| deeply involved, it might come as a shock. A lot of it | | | | of academic performance but would also measure it |
| is fairly cut and dry, at least for the vast majority of | | | | so everyone had a chance to do better. |
| students. | | | | It seems that the old SATs had too many analogy |
| Harvard typically spends more than $50,000 for | | | | questions, which favored people who think |
| every student they admit to their program for | | | | analogously about things (i.e., doctors, lawyers, |
| screening, interviewing and research on each person | | | | scientists, carpenters and the rest of us who like to |
| who enters its gates. The school puts a high price on | | | | reason things out by comparing one thing to |
| getting the very best people they can find -- young | | | | another). |
| people who will help contribute to the quality of the | | | | They also threw in a 45-minute writing section. The |
| student body. That letter of acceptance means that | | | | old test was deemed to be insufficient in testing |
| Harvard truly wants you to enroll. | | | | students' writing abilities. |
| I use Harvard as the archetype. All highly-selective | | | | Simply put, it means that now students will have to |
| post-secondary institutions -- including the military | | | | sit for three hours and 45 minutes to take the test |
| academies -- are competing for the same pool of | | | | instead of the usual three hours. And how the new |
| highly charged candidates. So what is the big news | | | | writing tests will be scored is another matter -- partly |
| about getting into college? | | | | by machine and partly by human interference, they |
| In the movie, "The Graduate," Dustin Hoffman's | | | | tell us. |
| character received some timely '60s career advice: | | | | For students at schools like New Trier or Stevenson |
| "One word. Are you listening? Plastics." | | | | High School along the North Shore, it's probably no big |
| This year, I have an update: "One word. Are you | | | | deal. They have been prepped to get into Harvard |
| listening? SAT." | | | | and Yale since they could walk … and the |
| To be more accurate, I'm referring to the | | | | culture supports that process. If there is a change to |
| newly-revised SATs. Why all the hubbub? | | | | the test, they simply bring in Kaplan or The Princeton |
| I'll quote a bit of tomfoolery from The New York | | | | Review to teach a class on the new SATs. Ipso |
| Times: "Today's test consists of only one question, | | | | facto, kids adapt to the changes and score higher. |
| so think carefully. The 'A' in SAT stands for: (a) | | | | Of course, educators (even in the ritzy suburbs) hate |
| aptitude; (b) achievement; (c) assessment; (d) all of | | | | the idea of outsiders coming in. But parents know the |
| the above; (e) none of the above. I haven't the | | | | importance of the SATs and demand that schools |
| slightest idea what the answer is, so I'll guess (a) | | | | deliver those services. |
| aptitude. Wait a minute -- since the SATs penalize | | | | The last three students I interviewed for Harvard |
| you for guessing, maybe I'll take the ACTs, which | | | | were all No. 1 in their class, along with a dozen other |
| does not. Now I am confused." | | | | classmates. Clearly, if your son or daughter is going |
| Welcome to the wonderful world of the SATs. | | | | to compete effectively for entrance to an elite |
| First some history. | | | | college, they had better start preparing now to take |
| A few years ago, the president of the University of | | | | the SATs -- and do well. |
| California (my alma mater) decided that the old SAT | | | | This is probably the single most important criterion |
| tests, which the school used to admit students, were | | | | used by admissions committees. To combat the |
| a bit too biased in favor of people who have been | | | | effects of grade inflation, an ever-increasing emphasis |
| brought up in a culture of disciplined thinking. | | | | is being placed on test scores. An extra 100 or 200 |
| The College Board was put on notice by the | | | | points can make or break a student's chances for |
| University of California that if it didn't change the test | | | | admission. |
| to make it more "relevant" to today's admissions | | | | Your SAT scores also have a value beyond helping |
| guidelines, the school was going to drop the SATs | | | | to get into the right school. |
| entirely. | | | | Many employers require students to report their |
| When the largest public university in America revolts | | | | scores as part of their resumes. For many elite jobs, |
| against something like the SATs, it sends tremors all | | | | the cutoff lines are about the same as for the elite |
| across the national consciousness of academia. | | | | universities. A score of 700 in math and reading is |
| Thus began the process that led to the birth of the | | | | mandatory. |
| SATs we use today. | | | | |