USING THE SAT AND HIGH-SCHOOL RECORD IN ACADEMIC GUIDANCE

This study appraised the utility of SAT scores in combination with gra des in high school courses and the number and quality of these courses in predicting college grades in various fields of study, with the obj ect of providing students with predictions of their academic performan ce for guidance purposes. The possible impact of this feedback on the flow of students into these fields was also assessed. Data for an ente ring class at a large state university were used. The SAT and collater al variables were able to predict college grades in different academic areas by taking account of marked variations in grade distributions a mong fields. These predictions could be potentially useful in guidance . Students' predicted grades in the fields and their intended majors w ere unrelated, and many students had their highest predicted grades in the humanities, though few intended to major in this field. Hence thi s feedback would probably stimulate students to take courses or major in the humanities.