The Morning: A top college reinstates the SAT

Plus, California weather and the Grammys

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 5, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We're covering a policy change by Dartmouth College — as well as California weather and the Grammys. Sian Beilock, the president of Dartmouth. Caleb Kenna for The New York Times 'Convinced by the data' Dartmouth College announced this morning that it would again require applicants to submit standardized test scores, starting next year. It's a significant development because other selective colleges are now deciding whether to do so. In today's newsletter, I'll tell you the story behind Dartmouth's decision. Training future leaders Last summer, Sian Beilock — a cognitive scientist who had previously run Barnard College in New York — became the president of Dartmouth. After arriving, she asked a few Dartmouth professors to do an internal study on standardized tests. Like many other colleges during the Covid pandemic, Dartmouth dropped its requirement that applicants submit an SAT or ACT score. With the pandemic over and students again able to take the tests, Dartmouth's admissions team was thinking about reinstating the requirement. Beilock wanted to know what the evidence showed. "Our business is looking at data and research and understanding the implications it has," she told me. Three Dartmouth economists and a sociologist then dug into the numbers. One of their main findings did not surprise them: Test scores were a better predictor than high school grades — or student essays and teacher recommendations — of how well students would fare at Dartmouth. The evidence of this relationship is large and growing, as I explained in a recent Times article. A second finding was more surprising. During the pandemic, Dartmouth switched to a test-optional policy, in which applicants could choose whether to submit their SAT and ACT scores. And this policy was harming lower-income applicants in a specific way. The researchers were able to analyze the test scores even of students who had not submitted them to Dartmouth. (Colleges can see the scores after the admissions process is finished.) Many lower-income students, it turned out, had made a strategic mistake. Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. Caleb Kenna for The New York Times They withheld test scores that would have helped them get into Dartmouth. They wrongly believed that their scores were too low, when in truth the admissions office would have judged the scores to be a sign that students had overcome a difficult environment and could thrive at Dartmouth. As the four professors — Elizabeth Cascio, Bruce Sacerdote, Doug Staiger and Michele Tine — wrote in a memo, referring to the SAT's 1,600-point scale, "There are hundreds of less-advantaged applicants with scores in the 1,400 range who should be submitting scores to identify themselves to admissions, but do not under test-optional policies." Some of these applicants were rejected because the admissions office could not be confident about their academic qualifications. The students would have probably been accepted had they submitted their test scores, Lee Coffin, Dartmouth's dean of admissions, told me. That finding, as much as any other, led to Dartmouth's announcement this morning. "Our goal at Dartmouth is academic excellence in the service of training the broadest swath of future leaders," Beilock told me. "I'm convinced by the data that this will help us do that." It's worth acknowledging a crucial part of this story. Dartmouth admits disadvantaged students who have scores that are lower on average than those of privileged students. The college doesn't apologize for that. Students from poor neighborhoods or troubled high schools have effectively been running with wind in their face. They are not competing fairly with affluent teenagers. Source: Cascio, Sacerdote, Staiger, Tine (Dartmouth) | Disadvantaged students are low-income, first-generation college or enrolled at a challenged high school. | By The New York Times "We're looking for the kids who are excelling in their environment. We know society is unequal," Beilock said. "Kids that are excelling in their environment, we think, are a good bet to excel at Dartmouth and out in the world." The admissions office will judge an applicant's environment partly by comparing his or her test score with the score distribution at the applicant's high schools, Coffin said. In some cases, even an SAT score well below 1,400 can help an application. Questions and answers In our conversations, I asked Beilock and her colleagues about several common criticisms of standardized tests, and they said that they did not find the criticisms persuasive. For instance, many critics on the political left argue the tests are racially or economically biased, but Beilock said the evidence didn't support those claims. "The research suggests this tool is helpful in finding students we might otherwise miss," she said. I also asked whether she was worried that conservative critics of affirmative action might use test scores to accuse Dartmouth of violating the recent Supreme Court ruling barring race-conscious admissions. She was not. Dartmouth can legally admit a diverse class while using test scores as one part of its holistic admissions process, she said. I've heard similar sentiments from leaders at other colleges that have reinstated the test requirement, including Georgetown and M.I.T. And I asked Beilock and her colleagues whether fewer students might now apply to Dartmouth. Coffin, the admissions dean, replied that such an outcome might be OK. He noted that the test-optional policy since 2020 had not led to a more diverse pool of applicants and that Dartmouth already received more than enough applications — 31,000 this year, for 1,200 first-year slots. "I don't think volume is the holy grail," he said. Finally, I asked Beilock whether she was satisfied with Dartmouth's level of economic diversity, which is slightly below that of most similarly elite colleges. She said no. "We have aspirations to bring it up," she said. Reinstating the test requirement, she believes, can help Dartmouth do so. For more: Compare economic diversity at hundreds of colleges through our College Access Index. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS California Weather Santa Barbara, Calif., yesterday. Mario Tama/Getty Images Intense rain and wind is lashing California, and hundreds of thousands of people are without power. Read our updates. Drivers were stranded in floodwaters in Los Angeles, mudslides covered a stretch of highway in Ventura County, and flights were grounded at Santa Barbara Airport. The storm is expected to linger over the Los Angeles area until tomorrow morning. Track it here. Middle East Antony Blinken departing for Saudi Arabia.  Mark Schiefelbein/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, will visit the region today to continue talks on a possible Gaza cease-fire deal. Hamas is still considering a proposal to halt fighting. After days of military strikes, President Biden has ordered further retaliation over the killings of U.S. soldiers, officials say. See the dignified transfer of one soldier, returning home in a coffin. The Houthi attacks on commercial ships are driving up freight costs. Read how business leaders are responding. 2024 Election During an event in Las Vegas, Biden tried to energize voters in a key swing state. Nikki Haley's husband, Maj. Michael Haley, is a National Guardsman deployed in Africa. He still has a presence on her campaign. Donald Trump pushed immigration conspiracy theories and mass deportations in an interview. War in Ukraine Senate Republicans and Democrats released a compromise border deal to unlock Ukraine aid, but it faces an uphill path to enactment. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, hinted at a government shake-up. He said "a reset" was needed to revive the war effort. Business Boeing found a new problem with 737 Max fuselages. Badly drilled holes will require work on 50 jets and could delay deliveries, The Wall Street Journal reports. X, formerly Twitter, is investing in original video content — paying celebrities and influencers to try to revive the platform. Samsung's top executive was acquitted of stock price manipulation and accounting fraud. Other Big Stories Viña del Mar, Chile. Cristóbal Olivares for The New York Times Wildfires in Chile killed 112, and hundreds more are missing. See photos of the fires. Big companies vowed to fix Mississippi cities' water issues and save them millions. But a Times investigation found that they left many worse off than before. Remnants of a nuclear missile were found in a garage in Washington State. Opinions Grace Powell Janick Gilpin for The New York Times Pamela Paul writes about people who thought they were trans as kids — but no longer do. Wolf repopulation efforts used to be unpopular. But as policymakers focused on building trust, public opinion shifted, Erica Berry writes. Misinformation and fearmongering about drug use in Oregon are threatening to bring back the old-school drug war, Maia Szalavitz writes. Choosing a woman as his vice president could help Trump win. But a V.P. pick should be someone who can win and govern, Kellyanne Conway writes. Gail Collins and Bret Stephens discuss the 2024 election and Taylor Swift's potential endorsement. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Cleaning a sewer drain in New Delhi. Rebecca Conway for The New York Times India: Bezwada Wilson was born into a caste assigned to remove dried human waste from latrines by hand. Read about his life's work to eradicate the practice. "Dalifornia": In a mountain town in China, young people can escape the competition of the country's megacities. Grieving the loss of a pet? These groups want to help. Medical meditation and clinical yoga: Alternative therapies are becoming mainstream in the U.S. Metropolitan Diary: They lived about 10 blocks away. Lives Lived: Michael Watford helped birth a subgenre of club music known as gospel house. He died at 64. SPORTS N.B.A.: The Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid will undergo corrective surgery on his left knee. N.F.L.: Kliff Kingsbury is the new offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, a splashy hire. Soccer: MetLife Stadium, outside New York, will host the 2026 World Cup final, FIFA announced. Dallas will field the most matches. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Taylor Swift Valerie Macon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Women win: It was a big night for women at the Grammys. Taylor Swift won her fourth album of the year award, breaking the record for the category. Billie Eilish won song of the year, Miley Cyrus won record of the year and Victoria Monét was named best new artist. Tracy Chapman and Joni Mitchell performed. Here's what else happened: Celine Dion, coping with neurological disorder, presented the Grammy to Swift. Swift announced a new album, coming out in April. Elle reports that fans online are scouring her relationship history to explain the title: "The Tortured Poets Department." Jay-Z, speaking with his daughter onstage, implied the Recording Academy had snubbed Beyoncé, CNN reports. "She has more Grammys than anyone, and never won album of the year," he said. See the most over-the-top outfits. (The Cut covered the worst and wackiest.) Read more takeaways from the show and a complete list of winners. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Armando Rafael for The New York Times Caramelize onions for French onion soup, a labor of love. Watch "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," an Amazon series based on the 2005 blockbuster film of the same name. Get silk pillowcases for Valentine's Day. Make perfect stovetop rice. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was tenacity. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Lauren Jackson, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. 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