Case Study :

Question: Apart from relying on SATs measures, explain any other variables that Alix should consider that could influence individual behaviour.

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Predicting Performance Alix Maher is the new admissions director at a small highly selective New England college. She has a bachelor's degree in education and a recent master's degree in educational administration. But she has no prior experience in college admissions. Alix's predecessor, in conjunction with the college's admissions committee (made up of five faculty members), had given the following weights to student selection criteria: high school grades (40 percent), scholastic aptitude test (SAT) scores (40 percent); extracurricular activities and achievements (10 percent); and the quality and creativity of a written theme submitted with the application (10 percent). Alix has serious reservations about using SAT scores. In their defense, she recognises that the quality of high schools varies greatly, so that the level of student performance that receives an A in American history at one school might earn only a C at a far more demanding school. Alix is also aware that the people who design the SATs, the Educational Testing Service, argue forcefully that these test scores are valid predictors of how well a person will do in college. Yet Alix has several concerns: 1. The pressure of the SAT exam is very great, and many students suffer from test anxiety. The results, therefore, may not truly reflect what a student knows. 2. There is evidence that coaching improves scores by between 40 and 150 points. Test scores, therefore, may adversely affect the chances of acceptance for students who cannot afford the $600 or $700 to take test-coaching courses. 3. Are SATs valid, or do they discriminate against minorities, the poor, and those who have had limited to access to cultural growth experiences? As Alix ponders whether she wants to recommend changing the college's selection criteria and weights, she is reminded of a recent conversation she had with a friend who is an industrial psychologist with a Fortune 100 company. He told her that his company regularly uses intelligence tests to help select from among job applicants. For instance, after the company's recruiters interview graduating seniors on college campuses and identify possible hires, they give the applicants a standardized intelligence test. Those who fail to score at least in the 80 th percentile are eliminated from the applicant pool. Alix thinks that if intelligence tests are used by billion-dollar corporations to screen job applicants, why shouldn't colleges use them? Moreover, since one of the objectives of a college should be to get its graduates placed in good jobs, maybe SAT scores should be given even higher weight than 40 percent in the selection decision. After all, if SAT taps intelligence and employers want intelligent job applicants, why not make college selection decisions predominantly on the basis of SAT scores? Or should her college replace the SAT with a pure intelligence test such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale