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I agree with a lot of this post, but I'm skeptical of characterizing the SAT as "one of the most fearsome weapons against entrenched wealth and power ever devis

I agree with a lot of this post, but I'm skeptical of characterizing the SAT as "one of the most fearsome weapons against entrenched wealth and power ever devised." The SAT was originally created by a eugenicist "to uphold a racial caste system. He advanced this theory of standardized testing as a means of upholding racial purity in his book A Study of American Intelligence. The tests, he wrote, would prove the racial superiority of white Americans and prevent 'the continued propagation of defective strains in the present population'—chiefly, the 'infiltration of white blood into the Negro.'" [0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAT#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAT#History

MattGaiser 6y ago
His argument is slightly different. It is not a fearsome weapon to elevate the people at the bottom, but rather one to make elites prove that they are reasonably intelligent before being given the keys to the power and wealth. Character, extracurriculars, awards, etc. can all be neatly packaged and generated for a student. Grades can be gamed very easily. Another local school near mine had internal grades and adjusted grades for sending to universities. The student needs to pass the SAT on their own even if they are relentlessly tutored. It is one thing that someone cannot do for them entirely.