Why the SATs are coming back… strong
By Daryl CapuanoGeneral Education AdviceThe tests are the most fair part of the application.
This seems to be an unpopular opinion to express until people are asked “which part of the process is fair?”
The student’s race/ethnicity?
The state from which the student applies?
The legacy or VIP connection?
A test certainly seems more fair.
Athletics? Well, that’s contributing to the school but does it seem fair that your A plus student will not get into Yale because some other kid is a top-notch squash player?
Activities… that’s a lot closer…. if there was a way to evaluate the activities outside of the static list provided on the Common App. Some kids really do a great deal of heart-felt community service that makes a difference to the community and is meaningful to their growth. Some kids check the box. It’s not that easy to tell the difference on college applications.
Recommendations? I’ve read a lot. The biggest variance: the teacher’s willingness to rave about the student. Some teachers are understated: Your child could be an A student in AP History with one teacher and her friend could be an A student in AP History with another teacher. One teacher may sing praises: “one of the strongest students…”, “great person”, “intellectually curious” and one may be more straightforward: “a strong student”, “a good person”, “interested in class.”
Grades…? here’s the one that people will argue should matter the most. Grade inflation is so rampant (“everyone” has As/A-s) ; strength of schools is so variant (a straight A student in East Lyme is far stronger than straight A students in many surrounding schools); and convoluted (try sorting out unweighted/weighted GPAs at different schools) that grades are really confusing to decipher.
Essays: Since I work with many students on college essays, I confess to knowing that my work -which involves colleges coaching not writing -does not lend itself to fairness. I also know that the idiosyncratic preferences of the reader matter. It’s brilliant luck if your son writes about his love of the French horn and the reader is a French horn player.
The SATs should not be the end all and be all. But it is the one area where your student can demonstrate his/her stuff on a level playing field.

CEO, The Learning Consultants and Connecticut’s top private education consultant
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