Interactive Discussion Board #2

As we learned in Chapter 4, SAT (standardized assessment tool) scores reflect a normal distribution and represent scores in the mid, upper, and lower percentiles. While GPA and extracurricular grades matter, standardized tests like the SAT still hold a lot of weight when it comes to admissions decisions … especially at the more elite institutions.

Take a few minutes and explore this siteLinks   https://www.collegesimply.com/guides/colleges-by-test-score/ to an external site. to see what SAT scores it takes to be competitive for college admission. Play around with the numbers. Where can you land with a score of 800 vs. 1600. What types of institutions require higher SAT scores?

For this discussion post, I invite you to reflect on the importance of statistics – specifically the normal distribution – for college admissions decisions. In addition, I would like to challenge each of you to think about barriers that students might face to achieving higher SAT scores. Consider how the importance of SAT scores may not only be a gateway to admission into elite universities but also systematically designed to open doors for some and close doors for others.

Please provide an initial response (minimum 150 words) & 1 peer response (minimum 50 words). Responses must go beyond “this is great”, “sounds good”, “good job”. Your response should engage meaningfully with the post.

Please note: As this topic may result in various perspectives, please exercise respect for your peers. No disrespectful language will be tolerated. Use this opportunity to learn from one another. Let’s grow our awareness and deepen our understanding of how statistics can help us think critically about social issues!