LATINO STUDENTS AND COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS - HOW MUCH DO THEY REALLY MATTER

Because many colleges and universities reduce the weight of college en trance exam (e.g., Scholastic Aptitude Test [SAT] scores for otherwise high-achieving minority students, the common wisdom has been that low SAT scores an relatively benign for Latino students with high grade p oint averages (GPAs). This study questioned that assumption and asked whether test scores affect other opportunities, such as scholarships; whether the scores erode the confidence of students who score low; and whether low test scores are predictive of time to complete degree or likelihood of doing postgraduate study. The study found that SAT score s did not predict for time to completion of a degree, college GPA, or likelihood of applying to graduate school. Students with low SAT score s were more likely to judge themselves as having lower ability than th ose who received high scores, independent of GPA, and almost half of t he students were aware of missed opportunities as a result of their sc ores.