Summary Role of Standardized Test Scores in Admissions home.dartmouth.edu
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SAT scores are prioritized over GPA in Dartmouth admissions, posing barriers for lower-income students and impeding diversity efforts.
Slides
Slide Presentation (6 slides)
Key Points
- Standardized test scores play a crucial role in identifying academically successful applicants at Dartmouth.
- SAT and ACT scores are highly predictive of academic performance and future career success at the university.
- Test-optional policies disadvantage high-achieving less-advantaged applicants who choose not to submit scores.
- Test scores are strong predictors of academic success for all subgroups of applicants, regardless of income or background.
- Test-optional policies may hinder the identification of talented individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Standardized test scores add significant value to the Admissions process at Dartmouth.
Summaries
19 word summary
SAT scores are crucial for Dartmouth admissions, more predictive of success than GPA, disadvantaging lower-income students and hindering diversity.
49 word summary
Standardized test scores play a crucial role in Dartmouth's undergraduate admissions, with SAT scores proving more predictive of academic success than high school GPA alone. Test-optional policies disadvantage less-advantaged students, favoring higher-income applicants. These policies do not increase diversity and hinder the identification of talented individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.
121 word summary
A report on standardized test scores in undergraduate admissions at Dartmouth highlighted the importance of SAT and ACT scores in identifying successful applicants. Test-optional policies were found to disadvantage high-achieving less-advantaged students, impacting their chances of admission. Data analysis showed that SAT scores were crucial in predicting academic achievement, surpassing the predictive power of high school GPA alone. The relationship between SAT scores and academic success was consistent across all applicant subgroups, challenging assumptions of bias. Test-optional policies favored higher-income students, hindering the identification of talented individuals from diverse backgrounds. These policies did not increase the proportion of less-advantaged students in the applicant pool. Overall, standardized test scores were deemed essential in identifying high-achieving less-advantaged applicants who may otherwise be overlooked.
387 word summary
A working group report on the role of standardized test scores in undergraduate admissions was submitted to President Sian Leah Beilock and Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin by Professors Elizabeth Cascio, Bruce Sacerdote, Doug Staiger, and Michele Tine. The report highlighted the importance of standardized test scores in identifying applicants who will succeed at Dartmouth. SAT and ACT scores were found to be highly predictive of academic performance at Dartmouth, as well as future career success. Test-optional policies were shown to disadvantage high-achieving less-advantaged applicants who choose not to submit scores, impacting their admission chances.
The White Paper provided by Institutional Research served as the basis for the analysis, examining correlations between admissions data and first-year GPA. Research findings indicated that SAT scores played a crucial role in predicting academic achievement at Dartmouth, surpassing the predictive power of high school GPA alone. The marginal contribution of high school GPA above SAT scores was minimal, emphasizing the significance of standardized test scores in identifying academically successful applicants.
Data analysis revealed that SAT scores were strong predictors of academic success for all subgroups of applicants at Dartmouth. The relationship between SAT scores and first-year GPA was consistent across more- and less-advantaged students, challenging the assumption that test scores may be biased against lower-income or first-generation students. Test-optional policies were identified as potential barriers to identifying high-achieving less-advantaged students who would thrive at Dartmouth.
Under test-optional policies, Admissions relied more heavily on factors that favored higher-income students, such as guidance counselor recommendations. Lower-income and international students from less-known high schools faced challenges in having their transcripts interpreted without SAT scores. Many less-advantaged students chose not to submit scores even when it could benefit their application, leading to missed opportunities for Admissions to identify talented individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Data analysis further revealed that test-optional policies did not necessarily increase the proportion of less-advantaged students in the applicant pool. The neighborhood income distribution and U.S. first-generation share among applicants remained similar under test-required and test-optional policies. Test scores were found to add significant value to the Admissions process at Dartmouth, aiding in the identification of high-achieving less-advantaged applicants who may otherwise go unnoticed under test-optional policies.
In conclusion, the report emphasized the importance of standardized test scores in undergraduate admissions at Dartmouth. Test scores were shown to be highly predictive of