University of Chicago to stop requiring ACT and SAT scores

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-university-chicago-sat-act-20180614-story.html

by joeyespo • 8 years ago

11 9 8 years ago

the University will also offer free tuition for families making under $125,000

My parents made $90,000 combined in 2009 (in NYC of all places) and I paid half price at a comparable school ($25,000 per year, cost of loans PLUS interest).

I literally studied abroad twice because it was $12,000 cheaper PER SEMESTER to study abroad through an approved school program. Lunacy.

mlthoughts2018• 8 years ago

I wonder why they feel the need to set a fixed dollar amount as the threshold for free tuition, as opposed to some type of cost of living adjusted figure that takes into account family assets, income, and relative income level in a specific region.

A family with household income of $150K in New York City would be in a very different situation than a family earning $124K in a suburb of Omaha, Nebraska, for example.

The cynic in me causes me to think this threshold is calculated based on looking at how frequently students with family incomes less than $125K are able to pass the academic credential criteria needed to be admitted.

And frankly, busting ass to do very well on standardized tests was probably a major means by which that class of students could compete for admission.

In some sense, this announcement could be seen as a way to further entrench existing admission biases, and allow admissions committees a more subjective control over how to tacitly favor admitting wealthy people, legacies, children of elites, nepotism-based admission — while publicly trying to market it as being more equitable.

The non-cynic in me would then ask whether standardized tests themselves already encoded this favoritism more so than admission processes that ignore them.

anoncoward1112• 8 years ago

Yes, omg, I completely agree. Your thoughts have resonated with me.

Like, someone who comes from generational wealth in Omaha may have millions in the bank but below $125,000 in family income. And someone in NYC making $150,000 I'd say 66% of that goes to taxes and rent and transport at a bare minimum.

busting ass on the SATs probably less subjective than a video of you dancing

I can see arguments going both ways for this. It will really depend on the admissions' committee's agenda and bias and process controls. If the school as a whole really wants rich kids to attend (this was the case in 2009 when the University of Chicago merged their Admissions and Financial Aid Departments)...

... then the Admissions department will probably start accepting dance videos that are quite obviously produced by someone with money and class-power. There are countless ways that someone could imply wealth in a self-produced audition video and even just in an essay.

But if the committee wants to select for impoverished families only, then they could do that too. They already have a ton of data.

Idk, the process is all rigged every way you look at it. What really needs to happen is college shouldn't be the make/break between a decent career in the USA...

philip1209• 8 years ago

Ugh, the Chicago Tribune is unavailable in the EU.

theBobBob• 8 years ago

Yeah I had to read Google's cached version.

hackerman123452• 8 years ago

ACT spokesman has a good point. I think the university will find this will lead to a reduced graduation rate, and less seats available for students who have a high probability of making it through the program.

As of 2016, the school recorded 43% of the new undergraduate class being white - already far below the national demographics. The only over represented group is Asians at 18%. This plan seems born of the usual trend in the past few years, with the goal of reducing Asian membership.

bachmeier• 8 years ago

The only over represented group is Asians at 18%. This plan seems born of the usual trend in the past few years, with the goal of reducing Asian membership.

Not sure what you're saying here. The university is changing to what it believes is a better admissions system. Are Asians for some reason unable to compete under a different system? There's never been a compelling argument for making the ACT/SAT the only criteria for admission - except perhaps that it's one number, making the job of admissions easier.

hackerman123452• 8 years ago

I'm suggesting the whole reason behind this "better admission system" is because they want to reduce the amount of Asians there. If you keep changing the rules for admission, you'll eventually find one which xyz undesired demographic can't compete in as well.

It's not the first time they've been discriminated against.

See : https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-15/harvard-a...

cleanyourroom• 8 years ago

SATs privilege non-stupid students and should be abolished.

University of Chicago to stop requiring ACT and SAT scores

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