Contents:
Part I: Standardized Tests and American Education: What is the Past and Future of College Admissions Testing in the United States Preface to Part I A History of Admissions Testing, Nicholas Lemann Achievement Versus Aptitude Tests in College Admissions, Richard C. Atkinson Standardized Tests and American Education, Richard Ferguson Doing What is Important in Education, Gaston Caperton Remarks on President Atkinson's Proposal on Admissions Tests, Manuel N. Gomez Aptitude for College: The Importance of Reasoning Tests for Minority Admissions, David F. Lohman A Historical Perspective on the Content of the SAT, Ida Lawrence, Gretchen Rigol, Tom Van Essen, and Carol Jackson Innovation and Change in the SAT: A Design Framework for Innovation and Change in the SAT: A Design Framework for Future College Admissions Tests, Howard T. Everson Commentary on Part I: Admissions Testing in a Disconnected K-16 System, Michael W. Kirst
Part II: College Admissions Testing in California: How did the California SAT Debate Arise? Preface to Part II Rethinking the Use of Undergraduate Admissions Tests: The Case of the University of California, Dorothy A. Perry, Michael T. Brown, and Barbara A. Sawrey UC and the SAT: Predictive Validity and Differential Impact
of the SAT I and SAT II at the University of California, Saul Geiser and Roger Studley Commentary on Part II: Changing University of California Admissions Practices: A Participant-Observer Perspective, Eva L. Baker
Part III: Race, Class, and Admissions Testing: How are Test Scores Related to Student Background and Academic Preparation? Preface to Part III Equitable Access and Academic Preparation for Higher Education: Lessons Learned from College Access Programs, Patricia Gandara Group Differences in Standardized Test Scores and Other Educational Indicators, Amy Elizabeth Schmidt and Wayne J. Camara
Is the SAT A "Wealth Test?" The Link Between Educational Achievement and Socioeconomic Status, Rebecca Zwick Evaluating SAT Coaching: Gains, Effects and Self-Selection, Derek C. Briggs Commentary on Part III: Differential Achievement: SeekingCauses, Cures, and Construct Validity, Michael E. Martinez
Part IV: The Predictive Value of Admissions Tests: How Well Do Tests Predict Academic Success for Students from a Variety of Backgrounds Preface to Part IV The Utility of the SAT I and SAT II for Admissions Decisions in California and the Nation, Jennifer L. Korbin, Wayne J. Camara and Glenn B. Milewski Replacing Reasoning Tests with Achievement Tests in University Admissions: Does it Make a Difference?, Brent Bridgeman, Nancy Burton and Frederick Cline Differential Validity and Prediction: Race and Sex Differences in College Admissions Testing, John W. Young The Effects of Using ACT Composite Scores and High School Averages on College Admissions Decisions for Ethnic Groups, Julie Noble Inequality, Student Achievement, and College Admissions: A Remedy for Under-representation, Roger E. Studley Reassessing College Admissions: Examining Tests and Admitting Alternatives, Christina Perez Commentary on Part IV: The Predictive Value of AdmissionsTests: How Well Do Tests Predict Academic Success for Students from a Variety of Backgrounds, Robert L. Linn
Author Index
Subject Index

Drawing on her many years as an analyst for the US based Educational Testing Service,the author offers the first balanced overview of the many-headed debate about the usefulness and reliability of standardized tests.

When it comes to the hotly disputed topic of college admissions, the one thing everyone agrees about is that it's unfair. But there is little agreement on what a fair process would be. Rebecca Zwick takes a hard look at the high-stakes competition of U.S. college admissions today. Illustrating her points using analyses of survey data from applicants to the nation's top colleges and universities, she assesses the goals of different admissions systems and the fairness of criteria-from high school grades and standardized test scores to race, socioeconomic status, and students' academic aspirations. The demographic makeup of the class and the educational outcomes of its students can vary substantially, depending upon how an institution approaches its task. Who Gets In? considers the merits and flaws of competing approaches and demonstrates that admissions policies can sometimes fail to produce the desired results. For example, some nontraditional selection methods can hurt more than help the students they are intended to benefit. As Zwick shows, there is no objective way to evaluate admissions systems-no universal definition of student merit or blanket entitlement to attend college. Some schools may hope to attract well-rounded students, while others will focus on specific academic strengths. What matters most is that a school's admissions policy reflects its particular educational philosophy. Colleges should be free to include socioeconomic and racial preferences among their admissions criteria, Zwick contends, but they should strive for transparency about the factors they use to evaluate applicants.