Thread by @akilbello

MIT is reinstating its testing requirement.

Their announcement has some odd tortured logic that's worth evaluating. #nowreading

mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/we…

What's interesting is that though they site the research foundation of this decision a bunch of times, no research is ever actually given.

I'd love to see their studies on the predictive validity of the tests in their schools.

This is also really weird.

Their claim is that NOT having a test that has biased socio-economic outcomes CREATES a barrier to socio-economic equity.

More interesting tidbits and oddities.

They claim the centrality of math but less than half the ACT is math and only half the SAT is math. So what does that mean about the other halves of theses test and the noise they add to evaluation?

There is no calc, no pre-calc, barely any trig, and only a smattering of algebra two on these tests.

So what is it telling them about preparation for calculus? (not a sarcastic question).

Take a gander at this thread and think about what it means about preparedness for calculus

https://twitter.com/akilbello/status/1357403800169025536?s=20&t=9csg9jq-ZxLLrt4BJQbU-A

Here are some of the formal descriptions of what was/is on the ACT... I wonder how this means calculus ready?

But whatever....

Maybe MIT is just leaning into the the two highlighted parts of this text.. its like

"we don't know what it is or how its relevant, but it's a long hard test and thats good enough for us"

#SoResearchSuchScience

Here where things get really weird

I dont think MIT has ever looked at MIT's CDS... but I have.

Their 25th percentile in math is a score that typically comes from getting 2 of 58 math questions wrong . . . i guess they don't expect perfect just almost perfect

Also how does getting 3 of 58 math questions wrong on a highly speeded test demonstrate lack of readiness

I'd also be curious given that MIT only has students who submit score greater than 700 how much restriction of range muddies their analysis statisticshowto.com/restricted-ran…

So their argument is that kids who were not able to take calculus in high school or demonstrate academic ability otherwise... would

1. get a high score on the SAT
2. be prepared to enter college level calculus

because of research from 3rd grade gifted testing

Holy analogies batman!

The SAT is to admissions as the vaccine is to the pandemic

Now i get it... this is all about feelings not research.

MIT is saying they feel better having tests. They feel confident with a test, especially from the browns and poorz.

That is probably the crux of so much of those who love the tests. They don't trust that you pleebs actually earned your grades or learned at your bad non-elite schools.

They are protecting their school from becoming an education hobo jungle*.

*GTS

Let me also add that for years I've said that places like MIT would be the most logical place for there to be specialized entry requirements.

But this test aint that.

I can say the word derivative but I can't find one, but since I can get a 700/780, I must be MIT ready

But as @JonBoeckenstedt says "MIT is a private university, they can do what they want"

I don't begrudge them making the best business decision they can for themselves. I just wish they wouldn't use "for equity" as their justification.

I wish they would just admit they like who they are and who they admit.

Holy crap!

Not even college board/ACT says you can't make good decisions without a test. (h/t @InsideAdmission)

Look at the correlation numbers from ACT and College Board... they tel a different story about predicting success.

news.mit.edu/2022/stuart-sc…

Shout out to places like Rhodes college that seems to reasonably live what MIT is pretending to live.

They seem to stop caring about scores above a particular score level, but not an unreasonably high level (though a lil high for my liking)

Even the MCU knew that MIT is the villain

More . . . more . . . more . . . there is always more when highly rejective schools do highly rejective things . . .

MIT's confidence tour continues.

2 years ago they weren't confident without scores
1 year ago they were confident without scores
Next year they will not be confident without SAT scores.

Confidence comes and goes apparently.

In today's circular twitter threads, here is a thread from @JonBoeckenstedt that was inspired by a tweet from me in a thread that link to a thread by him cause by a tweet from me due to a comment by me

https://twitter.com/JonBoeckenstedt/status/1508676667635499011?s=20&t=LJ4RDuF4gXiMleYGGEOmDw