The Briefing Room

General Category => Politics/Government => Topic started by: Sanguine on March 14, 2019, 03:26:00 am

Title: Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing
Post by: Sanguine on March 14, 2019, 03:26:00 am
Quote
written by Daniel Friedman   

On Tuesday, March 12 2019, federal prosecutors exposed a crooked college admissions consulting operation that bribed SAT administrators and college athletic coaches in order to get wealthy, underqualified applicants into elite universities. Also charged were 33 wealthy parents who had paid for admissions bribes, including actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, Gordon Caplan, a co-chair of the international law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, and Douglas Hodge, the former chief executive of Pimco.

As this story unfolds, there will be numerous takes and analyses about what the exposure of such widespread corruption in college admissions could mean. People are going to say that this scandal is proof that the meritocracy is broken and corrupt. And it’s likely that many commentators will use this event as an opportunity to attack the SAT and the ACT. Progressives view test-based admissions as inequitable because some marginalized groups are significantly underrepresented among the pool of top-scoring college applicants. But millionaires and elites also hate standardized admissions tests, because their children’s admission to top colleges is contingent upon test scores.

Under pressure from both the academic left and wealthy parents, hundreds of colleges have become “test optional,” allowing students to submit applications without test scores. Some elite schools, including Bowdoin, Bryn Mawr and the University of Chicago have adopted these policies. ...

https://quillette.com/2019/03/13/standardized-testing-and-meritocracy/
Title: Re: Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing
Post by: To-Whose-Benefit? on March 14, 2019, 03:36:57 am
One more thorn in a briar patch.

An enema the size of what's behind the Hoover Dam couldn't clean out our Universities.
Title: Re: Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing
Post by: Sanguine on March 14, 2019, 03:39:05 am
One more thorn in a briar patch.

An enema the size of what's behind the Hoover Dam couldn't clean out our Universities.

I think you are correct.  It will take a looooooooong, hard fight to do it.  It could take several generations.
Title: Re: Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing
Post by: Smokin Joe on March 14, 2019, 07:08:14 am
One more thorn in a briar patch.

An enema the size of what's behind the Hoover Dam couldn't clean out our Universities.
It'll take generations to flush the AGW nonsense out, alone. It's everywhere.
Title: Re: Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing
Post by: bilo on March 14, 2019, 04:01:17 pm
I'm wondering who is the victim the DOJ is trying to help in this mess. Is it the universities because they didn't get the bribes, but someone down the ladder did? If someone give a million bucks to a University why should there be any shock that their child will be admitted. Don't get me wrong the hypocrisy of these leftists is just too much, but who is the victim?

If these are all private colleges why don't they have the right to accept who ever they want.
Title: Re: Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing
Post by: Sanguine on March 14, 2019, 04:05:53 pm
I'm wondering who is the victim the DOJ is trying to help in this mess. Is it the universities because they didn't get the bribes, but someone down the ladder did? If someone give a million bucks to a University why should there be any shock that their child will be admitted. Don't get me wrong the hypocrisy of these leftists is just too much, but who is the victim?

If these are all private colleges why don't they have the right to accept who ever they want.

At least some of them are not private; UT for instance.  And, I think all of them get some federal funds.
Title: Re: Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing
Post by: bilo on March 14, 2019, 05:30:53 pm
At least some of them are not private; UT for instance.  And, I think all of them get some federal funds.

If private universities accept federal funds are their admission policies dictated by the federal govt? If so how do legacies get preferential treatment.
Title: Re: Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing
Post by: Sanguine on March 14, 2019, 05:45:39 pm
If private universities accept federal funds are their admission policies dictated by the federal govt? If so how do legacies get preferential treatment.

I don't know that anyone admits that legacy admittees are given preferential treatment.
Title: Re: Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing
Post by: bilo on March 14, 2019, 07:09:13 pm
I don't know that anyone admits that legacy admittees are given preferential treatment.

Some alum gives a million bucks to a school and his kid doesn't get in?
Title: Re: Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing
Post by: Sanguine on March 14, 2019, 09:51:21 pm
Some alum gives a million bucks to a school and his kid doesn't get in?

I really don't know.
Title: Re: Why Elites Dislike Standardized Testing
Post by: InHeavenThereIsNoBeer on March 14, 2019, 10:13:38 pm
I'm wondering who is the victim the DOJ is trying to help in this mess. Is it the universities because they didn't get the bribes, but someone down the ladder did? If someone give a million bucks to a University why should there be any shock that their child will be admitted. Don't get me wrong the hypocrisy of these leftists is just too much, but who is the victim?

If these are all private colleges why don't they have the right to accept who ever they want.

What if it's not $1M to the University, but $450,000 to the soccer coach?