UC President Napolitano recommends dropping the SAT, ACT tests

[MosheFeingold]

9. You remind me of my younger brother

Last edited Tue May 12, 2020, 12:09 PM - Edit history (1)

He was a math tutor to the much richer Jewish families than we were. Whizz kid, my brother. He got mad that he was helping a not-so-brilliant kids get into college, so he quit. As a result, my brother did not have money to go to college and got drafted. Went to Korea, lost his foot. Expensive bit of principle, that.

Yes, preparation helps. But I disagree that "they are totally gamed". Yes, some study and tutoring can help on the tests, especially with math. But then the kids are better at math. So they are better prepared for college, and do better. That's not gamesmanship. That's preparation.

The "otherwise deserving" kids are simply not as prepared -- yes, by circumstances beyond their control (most often, parents who did not force them to prepare). Yes, that's horribly unfair.

But so is life. When I want a plumber (or a doctor or a lawyer), I want one that is really good. I don't really care if they got a leg up on the competition by having a better home life.