The SAT: Getting Mediocre Rich Kids Into College Since 1926
Perhaps to settle all doubts whether they're the union's most rabidly prejudiced state, Arizona voters last week banned the use of affirmative action in college admissions because it discriminates against white people.
But for this fuzzy logic to pass muster, voters had to ignore or remain blissfully ignorant of the myriad ways the college admissions system is already skewed to favor kids who are rich, mediocre and white.
The SAT is probably the system's most efficient instrument at creating an uneven playing field. I know this because back in high school I, a mediocre white student of privilege, was a beneficiary of the SAT.
I scored a little over 1200 the first time, but because my family could afford it, I took an SAT prep class, studied some vocabulary lists, and with minimal effort improved my score by nearly 200 points.
Overnight, I transformed myself into a legit elite private school applicant, and, of course, it had nothing to do with my abilities as a student or my intelligence.
Rich kids have greater access to prep classes, prep books and tutoring than low-income and many minority students, and, thus, are more likely to do well. The College Board, the pseudo non-profit that designs and promotes the test, argues coaching doesn't make a difference, but then why does it sell SAT prep books for $25