Meritocracy, SAT Scores, and Laundering Prestige at Elite Universities — Manifold #43

 

I discuss 10 key graphs related to meritocracy and university admissions. Predictive power of SATs and other factors in elite admissions decisions. College learning outcomes - what do students learn? The four paths to elite college admission. Laundering prestige at the Ivies. 

Slides: 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1n-nwoeKe_DcA5tJxTwqTeZBEY7nObxkujKLxVfAzRAY/edit?usp=sharing 

Audio Only and Transcript: 

https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/meritocracy-sat-scores-and-laundering-prestige-at-elite-universities-43

CLA and college learning outcomes

https://infoproc.blogspot.com/2015/01/measuring-college-learning-outcomes.html 

Harvard Veritas: Interview with a recent graduate 

https://infoproc.blogspot.com/2022/08/harvard-veritas-interview-with-recent.html 

Defining Merit - Human Capital and Harvard University

https://infoproc.blogspot.com/2009/11/defining-merit.html 

Chapter markers: 

0:00 Introduction 

1:28 University of California system report and the use of SAT scores admissions 

8:04 Longitudinal study on gifted students and SAT scores (SMPY) 

12:53 Unprecedented data on earnings outcomes and SAT scores 

15:43 How SAT scores and university pedigree influence opportunities at elite firms 

17:35 Non-academic factors fail to predict student success 

20:49 Predicted earnings 

24:24 Measured benefit of Ivy Plus attendance 

28:25 CLA: 13 university study on college learning outcomes 

32:34 Does college education improve generalist skills and critical thinking? 

42:15 The composition of elite universities: 4 paths to admission 

48:12 What happened to meritocracy? 

51:48 Hard versus Soft career tracks 

54:43 Cognitive elite at Ivies vs state flagship universities 

57:11 What happened to Caltech?