I study student characteristics and academic performance at the University of California, where consideration of an applicant's ethnicity has been banned since 1996 and SAT scores were used in admitting students to the university until fall 2021. I show the following: (1) SAT scores were more important than high school grades in predicting…

The value of a college degree continues to rise. A bachelor's degree in particular provides unrivaled economic and health benefits not just for the individual earning the degree, but for the entire state. Therefore, it is not surprising to see growing demand for a college education coupled with growing eligibility for California's public…

We investigate the efficacy and equity of college admissions criteria by estimating the effect of multiple measures of college readiness on college performance in the context of race-blind automatic admissions policies. We take advantage of a unique institutional feature of the Texas higher education system to control for selection into…

The identification of gifted and talented students and the accompanying fact that most identification systems result in the underrepresentation of students from African American, Hispanic, Native American, English language learning, and low-income families are two of the most discussed and hotly debated topics in the field. This article provides…

The question of how graduate schools can include race as an admission criteria and give equitable treatment in admissions decisions is addressed by considering some aspects of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores and the use and misuse of test scores in admissions procedures. The GRE is used in admissions procedures to prove an…

The uses and limitations of tests and college admissions policies and procedures are considered, and some testing/admissions guidelines for selective graduate and professional schools in the post-Bakke era are suggested. Among the uses of tests are the following: diagnosing academic deficiencies and weaknesses; determining the level of mastery;…

Major assumptions and goals on which professional school admission decisions are based, the use of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) as an admission criteria, and approaches to admission used by the Temple University Law School are examined. One consideration in making admissions policies is group needs, or whether there is a need for more…

Reports the increase of the black-white scoring gap on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). As race-sensitive college admissions decline, these scores present barriers to educational progress by Blacks in selective institutions. Explains the scoring gap noting why so few Blacks have top SAT scores and thus will be shut out of major universities…

Presents analyses that highlight how racial context influences the SAT's ability to predict black students' collegiate success. SAT items are shown to denigrate the black experience and demonstrate a bias toward science. The test's predictive validity is shown to depend on college racial environment, adjustment issues, gender, and black identity…