Newsgroups: bit.listserv.psycgrad
Date:         Wed, 12 Aug 1992 09:02:40 EDT
              <PSYCGRAD@UOTTAWA.BITNET>
From:         Gerri Oppedisano <gerri@WATSON.IBM.COM>
Subject:      GREs and the note attached below
X-To:         PSYCGRAD@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA

A class is much easier than doing it yourself. Plus in a class, homework
is reviewed and you know why you got your answer wrong and can ask questions.
Also, you're not alone when you're taking a class. Personally (who asked me
anyhow!), I think the damn classes should be $10. The fact that a prep course
for a required standardized test cost upwards of $550 shows what gross
capitalistic society we have.. (Harshness is meant to emphasize my point).

I do agree that doing homework should be rewarded but how do you really know
who did their homework themselves, or took a class, or simply test well on
these kind of tests? I've known people who've never done exceptionally well
in school who score incredibly well on the SAT and GRE tests, and also know
people who score terribly on the GREs who are stellar in their graduate
programs, and have done well in school in the past. You know a test is a bad
one when you see things like this. They are not testing for whether people
can survive a graduate program; they are testing for specific skills, which
may or may not be useful to have in grad school but are not necessarily what
it takes.

gerri (my last words on this subject.. I hope)

******  The following is a COPY  *****************************
Date:         Tue, 11 Aug 1992 14:50:00 PDT
Reply-To:
 "Psychology Graduate Students Discussion Group List"
 <PSYCGRAD%UOTTAWA.BITNET@pucc.Princeton.EDU>
Sender:
 "Psychology Graduate Students Discussion Group List"
 <PSYCGRAD%UOTTAWA.BITNET@pucc.Princeton.EDU>
From:         UNGER@MVSA.USC.EDU
Subject:      Re: Psychometrics
To:           Multiple recipients of list PSYCGRAD
 <PSYCGRAD%UOTTAWA.BITNET@pucc.Princeton.EDU>

Jennifer in DC--
I agree, it's not fair to reward people who have the money
to take an SAT prep class with a spot at your university.
Then again, one could also argue that you can get the same
preparation from a $10 book and a little practice
and review.  In fact, most of the tips I see in SAT
books in bookstores are the very same tips that we
teach in the program.  And the practice problems we
use come from a book that you can buy in a regular
bookstore.  So in effect, the students (well, really,
their parents) are paying me to read these books to
them and guilt them into doing homework.  I don't
think universities should reward students for having
rich parents, but maybe they should reward students who
have the diligence to do practice problems on their own,
since this diligence will probably be correlated with
their later academic success.  And the whole point of this
whole thing is (obstensibly) to accept students who have
whatever it takes to graduate, become a success in life,
and make the university proud.  If I were a university,
I'd definitely try to accept students who are inclined
to do their homework.
Jennifer at USC (where it's hot and smoggy outside and
freezing cold in the office!)
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU