secrets of the sat: Why the national obsession with the SAT test?  And how fair, reliable and democratic is it?


join the discussion

who was good enough?
Rate 5 applicants to an elite university--then see who got in
video inside an admissions screening
What are they looking for in the academic & personal record?
interviews
Test prep experts, admissions officials, SAT critics and educators
race sensitive admissions
The debate on using race as a factor in admitting students
the sat & the booming test prep business
What does it really measure? What does coaching achieve?
where did the test come from?
A look at the American ideal of meritocracy



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discussion | who got in? | interviews | the race issue | sat & test prep | history of the sat
the screening process | test score gap | getting in to berkeley | bibliography | links | video excerpt
tapes & transcripts | press | links

FRONTLINE | pbs online | wgbh

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Secrets of the SAT

How fair are standardized tests? What do they measure? And what's their impact on racial diversity on America's college campuses? FRONTLINE examines the debate over fairness in college admissions, looking at the national obsession with test scores, the multimillion dollar test prep industry, and the legal challenges to race-sensitive admissions policies. A diverse set of students are followed through the stressful college admissions cycle as they dream of attending some of the country's most prestigious universities.

published oct. 1999

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