The SAT, ACT, and even IQ tests, were originally created in part to help identity promising students who weren't from upscale backgrounds. I'm not 100% sure th

The SAT, ACT, and even IQ tests, were originally created in part to help identity promising students who weren't from upscale backgrounds. I'm not 100% sure that the tests can't be coached, but certainly not like the "leadership", etc. And even if they can't be raised by coaching, the scores can certainly be lowered by poor education and a chaotic living situation. EDIT: Most people who can pay for coaching are already sending their kids to the kind of high schools that serve to get them ready, so they are close to their peak already. Even things like summer public service, there are consultants who can tell you, based on your target school, the best one for that school, like is it better to work on a clinic project in Honduras, or teach basic literacy in Burkina Faso. Never mind that the plane fare to get your youth group to Burkina Faso would pay the school fees for an entire village, with enough left over to pay 1/2 the teacher's salary for a year.