What Does the Scholastic Aptitude Test Measure?
The front-page article in the January 10th issue of The New York Times Magazine, examined the influence of the college prepratory Scholastic Aptitude Test (S.A.T.) on American students, their families and American and (some) Canadian colleges and universities. In a culture obsessed with measurement, the S.A.T. has arguably become the single most important test for American high school students. Although recent studies have shown that the S.A.T is only a modest predictor of future academic performance, particularly among students with higher scores, this is little comfort to the two million college-bound students who take the S.A.T.’s each year. With society more focused than ever on brand names, there is a strong conviction among parents and students that attending a prestigious college confers huge future advantages. While high S.A.T. scores – above about 1300 – do not guarantee admission to the most exclusive schools, low scores can be all but disqualifying. According to the Times, e
