Comments on: Baylor pays for SAT retakes http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/10/baylor-pays-for-sat-retakes/ Thinking and Linking by Joanne Jacobs Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:51:22 +0000 hourly 1 By: Cardinal Fang http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/10/baylor-pays-for-sat-retakes/#comment-40292 Cardinal Fang Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:26:12 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/?p=5931#comment-40292 Baylor has decided not to continue this odious program. Baylor has decided not to continue this odious program.

]]> By: David McElroy http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/10/baylor-pays-for-sat-retakes/#comment-40291 David McElroy Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:03:54 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/?p=5931#comment-40291 What 'Bama's law school is doing seems perfectly legitimate, but Baylor's actions seem wrong. UA is simply offering incentives in order to get better applicants. Why is that any different from offering scholarships to those with high scores? It's just a different incentive, so I can't see why it's objectionable in any way. Baylor's system has nothing to do with getting better students to apply, which is why it's an entirely different issue, IMO. What ‘Bama’s law school is doing seems perfectly legitimate, but Baylor’s actions seem wrong. UA is simply offering incentives in order to get better applicants. Why is that any different from offering scholarships to those with high scores? It’s just a different incentive, so I can’t see why it’s objectionable in any way. Baylor’s system has nothing to do with getting better students to apply, which is why it’s an entirely different issue, IMO.

]]> By: Cardinal Fang http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/10/baylor-pays-for-sat-retakes/#comment-40290 Cardinal Fang Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:01:36 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/?p=5931#comment-40290 U of Alabama isn't gaming the rankings. They're trying to lure better students to apply (assuming, arguendo, that LSATs measure something meaningful). Lots of undergraduate schools do the same thing. National Merit Semifinalists (in other words, high scorers on the PSAT) get swamped with "priority" applications from colleges. Baylor is simply trying to make the same students look better by randomly scoring a little better on the SATs. Notice that the Baylor trick can't possibly make average scores go down, since they calculate average SAT score using the highest score that an student gets. So if a Baylor re-tester does better, it counts, but if she does worse, it doesn't count. U of Alabama isn’t gaming the rankings. They’re trying to lure better students to apply (assuming, arguendo, that LSATs measure something meaningful). Lots of undergraduate schools do the same thing. National Merit Semifinalists (in other words, high scorers on the PSAT) get swamped with “priority” applications from colleges.

Baylor is simply trying to make the same students look better by randomly scoring a little better on the SATs. Notice that the Baylor trick can’t possibly make average scores go down, since they calculate average SAT score using the highest score that an student gets. So if a Baylor re-tester does better, it counts, but if she does worse, it doesn’t count.

]]> By: Amy http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/10/baylor-pays-for-sat-retakes/#comment-40289 Amy Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:05:59 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/?p=5931#comment-40289 I spent the most miserable year of my life as a freshman at Baylor. There are some fantastic students there and some excellent faculty, but the administration is ridiculous. Many of the campus policies are outrageous or just plain dumb -- this one included. My advice to potential students: if you can boost your SAT score up another 50-100 points, apply to school elsewhere! I spent the most miserable year of my life as a freshman at Baylor. There are some fantastic students there and some excellent faculty, but the administration is ridiculous. Many of the campus policies are outrageous or just plain dumb — this one included.

My advice to potential students: if you can boost your SAT score up another 50-100 points, apply to school elsewhere!

]]> By: Cardinal Fang http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/10/baylor-pays-for-sat-retakes/#comment-40288 Cardinal Fang Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:06:42 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/?p=5931#comment-40288 As long as there are metrics, people will try to game them. Interestingly, in this case it didn't work- 1200 to 1210? Big deal. As long as there are metrics, people will try to game them. Interestingly, in this case it didn’t work- 1200 to 1210? Big deal.

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