ERIC Number: EJ783683
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0734-6670
EISSN: N/A
Our Numbers Are up! (Is That Good?)
Speyer, Mark
Journal of College Admission, n182 p8-15 Win 2004
There has been an increase on the number of applicants and the average SAT scores of the admitted students to colleges and universities in the United States. The total number of applicants may increase for purely external reasons, such as more students graduating from high school or more students reading good things about a particular college, but the number may also be increasing because admission offices are driving it up by fair means and foul means. Similarly, SAT scores may be going up because American young people are getting smarter, reading more books, broadening their vocabularies, and grasping the points of arguments faster, but, it also appears that SAT scores are going up because college admission makes them a more important factor each year, privileging the applicants with big numbers and playing rough with anyone whose scores are low. In spite of the increased numbers, things are not better than ever. It is commonplace to say the new emphasis on numbers results from the ever-growing power of the "U.S. News and World Report" rankings of colleges. The larger cause of the problem, however, is the lack of a clear definition in this country of what constitutes a good pre-college education. In this article, the author stresses that Americans should recognize the problem and take responsibility, individually and collectively, for the problem. He also calls on those who work in college admission to empower their professional organizations to address the problem.
Descriptors: College Entrance Examinations, College Admission, Higher Education, Rating Scales, College Applicants, Statistics, Grades (Scholastic), Scores, Validity, College Bound Students, Educational Counseling, College Preparation, Ethics, Academic Standards
National Association for College Admission Counseling. 1631 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-2818. Tel: 800-822-6285; Tel: 703-836-2222; Fax: 703-836-8015; e-mail: info@nacac.com; Web site: http://www.nacacnet.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: SAT (College Admission Test)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A