
University of Chicago to stop requiring ACT and SAT scores - joeyespo
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-university-chicago-sat-act-20180614-story.html
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anoncoward111
>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.

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mlthoughts2018
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.

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anoncoward111
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...

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hackerman12345
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.

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bachmeier
> 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.

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hackerman12345
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...](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-15/harvard-
admissions-documents-show-bias-applicants-say-in-court)

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philip1209
Ugh, the Chicago Tribune is unavailable in the EU.

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theBobBob
Yeah I had to read Google's cached version.

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cleanyourroom
SATs privilege non-stupid students and should be abolished.

