The November 1st early application deadline for most universities is fast approaching. More than any other time of year, I receive more questions from parents about the SAT, ACT, and college admissions, especially since COVID-19 has drastically changed many precedents for college admissions.
The most common statement parents make is that their child has good grades but poor test scores. This comment reveals a fundamental disconnect between what parents understand about school performance and standardized test scores. Here's what parents need to understand about seemingly disparate grades and test scores to set their children up for academic success.
In fact, some students actually take exams poorly, which usually means they don't perform well under pressure. However, in my experience of teaching thousands of students, this description only applies to a small percentage of students. In most cases, a different explanation applies. Despite having a very high GPA in an honors class, the student is actually just an average student.
According to the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute's Freshman Survey, 86% of students surveyed at bachelor's degree-granting universities; Average in high school was A. So an A average is not at all unusual. In fact, they are average.
Since we're talking about average grades here, you may be wondering what the average test score is. The median SAT scores are: 1020. Median ACT scores are: 18. It may come as a shock to parents that their average student is a high achiever. expected All you need to do is score under 1000 on the SAT or score around 18 on the ACT. But these are average scores, and in today's academic environment, A students are, well, average.
However, most parents do not know that their student is an average student. This makes it very difficult to convince A students that they should expect mediocre scores on standardized tests, rather than great scores.
This concept flies in the face of 11 years of schooling in which children believed they were achieving above-average grades. But that wasn't the case. This is just one of many reasons why grade inflation is a serious problem, including expectations around standardized test results.
Simply put, it's much easier to blame “bad test takers” for poor test scores than it is to admit that your child is average, at least academically speaking.
Last October, Emory University Dean of Admissions John Lutting said: said “Frankly, we don't trust GPAs as much these days,” he said, adding, “Grades are definitely inflated and aren't as tied to true class performance as they used to be.” .
Instead, Emory will “emphasize 'external evaluations' over GPAs, with a particular focus on AP scores.”
But grade inflation is only part of the problem. In reality, there is another issue at play. Misinformation initiated by test prep companies is undermining confidence in SAT and ACT scores.
In the 1980s and 1990s, test prep giants of the past basically advertised that the SAT and ACT only measured SAT and ACT performance in order to make a quick buck. They argued that the test was gamified and largely pointless, and that the sensible approach was to prepare for the test by learning the only secret information and immediately increase your score. they are own.
This sales pitch was so effective that the vast majority of people – yesterday's students and today's parents, teachers, and counselors – still believe it. Even if that was partially true at one point, the test has changed dramatically many times since then, and that sales pitch no longer describes the current SAT or ACT.
So what is the truth? We found that the SAT and ACT each cover over 200 topics and skills, including vocabulary, rhetorical skills, grammar, math, reading comprehension, logical thinking, and data analysis. These tests no longer just measure performance on the test itself. In fact, they measure important and meaningful skills that students need to do well in college.
Additionally, because the SAT and ACT are standardized assessments that cover a wide range of concepts and skills, parents can should Trust us, these results will help you understand your child's academic readiness. For most students, you should trust the results more than any GPA your child brought home from school.
Not only are the SAT and ACT helpful in predicting success in college, but for some schools, the SAT and ACT are even better predictors than a student's high school grades. Don't take it from me. Excerpts from the most highly regarded higher education institutions.
- “The SAT and ACT tests are More accurate predictions of Harvard grades than high school grades. ”
- “Test scores are the single greatest predictor of a student's academic performance at Yale, and this is true throughout all four years, and when all other available variables are controlled to the extent possible. But it applies.” Mark Dunn, assistant director of admissions at Yale University, speaks on the Yale Admissions Podcast.
- “Standardized test scores are a much better predictor of academic success than high school grades.” – Christina Paxson, President of Brown University, quoted in The New York Times (2024)
- “SAT scores have significant predictive value for academic performance over other measures such as high school GPA.” – dartmouth admissions survey
- Dartmouth is set numbers The idea behind that statement is that “high school GPA alone explains 9 percent of the variance in Dartmouth students' first-year GPA.” SAT scores alone explain “about 22% of the variation.” Therefore, at least for Dartmouth students, SAT/ACT scores are approximately 2.4 It is many times more likely to predict academic success than high school grades.
Once you understand what the SAT and ACT actually test, this predictive ability makes perfect sense. The SAT and ACT do not test students on random content or how well they can perform on arbitrary tasks. They assess students as designed and measure students' abilities in the most basic and important knowledge and skills required for higher education.
Universities believe standardized test scores are helpful. That's why standardized test scores are used by test-required, test-optional, and even test-blind colleges. For example, UCLA and UC Berkeley are prohibited by the Board of Regents from considering SAT and ACT scores, but instead use AP and IB exam scores. Admission decision.
The better students and parents understand high school grades and standardized tests, the better positioned they will be for academic success.
David Brobaum He serves on the Board of Directors and is responsible for social contribution activities. National Test Preparation Association. In 2013, I co-founded an education company. Preparing for the summitprovides supplementary education to students.
