Test-Blind College

Test-Blind College

Top of Mind with Julie Rose - Radio Archive, Episode 242 , Segment 4

Episode: Stars in Politics, Googling Cancer, Leap Day, Test-Blind College

  • Mar 1, 2016
  • 19:40 mins

Guest: Meredith Twombly, Dean of Enrollment and Retention at Hampshire College  SAT and ACT scores are traditionally important aspects of a college application, but a number of universities in recent years have made those tests optional for aspiring students. One well-respected liberal arts school - Hampshire College in Massachusetts – went a step further. In 2014, Hampshire became “test-blind” meaning the college won’t even look at your ACT or SAT score if you send one.  The switch had one big consequence – Hampshire College got dropped from the prestigious rankings of US News & World Report. But school officials say it was worth it.

Other Segments

TV Stars in American Politics

27m

Guests: Chris Karpowitz, PhD, BYU Professor of Political Science; Grant Madsen, PhD, BYU Professor of History  On this eve of Super Tuesday, ten states will hold their primaries. In the Republican field, Donald Trump has the momentum, despite early predictions from pundits and political experts that a bombastic, wealthy reality TV star couldn’t possibly win the nomination.  But America has a history electing famous people with little to no political experience. More than a few Hollywood stars have been mayors. Californian elected Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor.  And remember when pro wrestler Jesse Ventura became the governor of Minnesota? The halls of Congress have seen star power, too, with Al Franken, Fred Thompson and don’t forget Sonny Bono.

Guests: Chris Karpowitz, PhD, BYU Professor of Political Science; Grant Madsen, PhD, BYU Professor of History  On this eve of Super Tuesday, ten states will hold their primaries. In the Republican field, Donald Trump has the momentum, despite early predictions from pundits and political experts that a bombastic, wealthy reality TV star couldn’t possibly win the nomination.  But America has a history electing famous people with little to no political experience. More than a few Hollywood stars have been mayors. Californian elected Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor.  And remember when pro wrestler Jesse Ventura became the governor of Minnesota? The halls of Congress have seen star power, too, with Al Franken, Fred Thompson and don’t forget Sonny Bono.

Tech Transfer: Corporate Training Software

18m

Guests: Benjamin Mackley, BYU Master’s Student in Instructional Psychology and Technology; Dave Brown, BYU’s Technology Transfer Office  There’s a big online aspect to college education these days. Professors communicate with students by email, give tests online and even teach entire courses by webcast. Being online opens up new opportunities for students and instructors to track their progress. But the power of the web should be able to do so much more than let you log on and see your latest test score or term grade. With the right software, a professor ought to be able to know how what percentage of the class actually watched the online video to the end or see a graph of student test performance showing topics that need more focus in class.

Guests: Benjamin Mackley, BYU Master’s Student in Instructional Psychology and Technology; Dave Brown, BYU’s Technology Transfer Office  There’s a big online aspect to college education these days. Professors communicate with students by email, give tests online and even teach entire courses by webcast. Being online opens up new opportunities for students and instructors to track their progress. But the power of the web should be able to do so much more than let you log on and see your latest test score or term grade. With the right software, a professor ought to be able to know how what percentage of the class actually watched the online video to the end or see a graph of student test performance showing topics that need more focus in class.