I thought it was interesting how Kaplan figured out how to tutor students on the SAT to help raise their scores. ETS didn't think this was possible but still tried to put him out of business. It is ironic that now we have so many test prep books to prepare our students for the EOG test that we can't get around to all of them, and more are constantly being purchased. Michael Young in The Big Test expressed how a Test Prep industry was being created. Boy, was he ever right. I have paid for so many SAT tests that it is ridiculous. My daughters wanted to get a higher score and they thought it would increase their chances in being admiitted into the school of their choice. Do kids think this is socially or economically going to help them in any way?

Many schools today have a lot of people applying to get into select programs. For example, my Assistant's daughter has been trying for two years to be accepted to the Pharmacy School of UNC Chapel Hill. She has excellent grades; a math and calculus whiz and has spent the two years waiting; working in the CVS pharmacy as a pharmacy tech. UNCCH has several hundred applicants each year; but only have room for about 75 candidates. Similar figures occur for Physical Therapy, etc. In these cases scores on the SAT or GRE or MAT or the PCAT (pharmacy) are more crucial. Unless you fit into an affirmative action plan (which still exists in some places); you have to have the academic criteria to make it. Some schools require the academic criteria for everyone, even minorities. I'm obviously not a minority citizen; but I feel that the affirmative action enrollment might be a slap in the face if I were a minority and had earned enrollment by good academic and test score standards; but people thought I was there by my skin color. My diploma wouldn't mean as much to me.

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Kathy

Kathy, I also took the test several times because it was important to my TEaching Fellows scholarship. The scholarship included many categories, grades, extra curricular, SAT, etc. and the SAT was the only section I got points taken off. It seems very unfair that schools even look at those scores and consider them for admission.

I thought this was interesting as well. What a smart guy this Kaplan. It's funny how even the people that created the test didn't think students could be prepared. We drive our students crazy today with all this test ready stuff.

I took the SAT several times as well. I also took the ACT-just to be safe

I thought it was neat how Chauncey's son went on to become an assistant dean at Yale and just for kicks he decided to review his admission folder. When he saw the folder, someone had written "Henry Chauncey's son" on the label. Isn't that interesting that in the whole scheme of things, it really mattered who his family was and what influence they had over determining his place in life. There were opportunitites presented to him so he could get ahead.

I think that that is true for many people who have parents in influential positions.
I will say this, but you never heard it from me. Deny, deny. When I worked in the registrar's office in college, I had the chance to look up my (NOW) ex-boyfriend's father who attended the same college I did.
He was a lousy student who went to be a successful business man and puts on airs like he is the greatest gift to women and society. But buddy, his grades sure didn't predict his success. He inherited the successful business.

I just thought that it was neat that Chauncey's son could see how he had been helped along with his position in life.