Included are three studies, each dealing with an aspect of comparative validity of the American College Test (ACT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) at selective colleges. The first study considered the predictive efficiency of the ACT test scores and ACT test scores plus high school grades at 120 colleges, separated into three groups…

A statistical model is presented for processing quantitative admission data that weights equally two or more quantitative elements to ensure that the N most consistently high scorers qualify for the N available positions. The quantitative elements considered are overall grade point average (GPA), GPA in selected courses, and standardized test…

Arguments are set forth to encourage continued use of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as supplementary information rather than as an exclusive criterion for selecting graduate candidates in English. The author predicts that the GRE will be increasingly used and will increasingly come to define and control undergraduate and graduate…

Based on the assumption that more affluent colleges can attract more able students, a study was undertaken to find exceptions to this rule. It looked for affluent colleges that are relatively unselective and less affluent colleges that are selective. The purpose was to understand how college characteristics are related to selectivity. A…

Three alternative strategies for college selection, their associated cost and benefits are described in this study. These include a strict meritocratic procedure, a minority quota procedure and a disadvantaged quota procedure. The strict meritocratic procedure was operationalized in terms of predicted probability of success; the minority quota…

Selectivity is criticized as an index of college quality. Standardized college entrance examination scores can at best reflect college quality, it is proposed. In addition, using them as a measure of college quality assumes, perhaps erroneously, that the college admits only the highest-scoring applicants. Further reasons are these: (1) SAT scores…

Equations for the prediction of college grades from test scores and high school grades were compared for Mexican-Americans and other students at three universities of the California State University and Colleges system. With rare exceptions, regression equations for the prediction of grades for Mexican-Americans did not differ from those for other…

There are both strengths and weaknesses of using standardized test scores as a criterion for admission to institutions of higher education. The relative importance of scores is dependent on the institution's degree of selectivity. In general, decision processes and admissions criteria are not well defined. Advantages of test scores include: use of…

The 1976 Educational Testing Service (ETS) Invitational Conference served as a platform for individuals who have been prominent in educational measurement and research to present their views on issues surrounding the testing controversy. The 1976 ETS "The Testing Scene: Chaos and Controversy," presents a historical review of events surrounding the…

The conditions and experiences of black students in higher education in the 1970s are addressed in 27 essays. The essays are categorized in terms of: history and profile; admissions and access; enrollment, academic experience, and career choice; black higher educational survival; recruitment and retention; and structural policies. Among the…