Strong feelings lead to debate

One panelist provided well-known statistics that college applicants with parents who spend their children’s formative years talking with and encouraging their sons and daughters–will do well academically and score well on the SAT. The panelist suggested that intervention for lower income applicants needs to begin well before these students are applying for college.

Wake Forest Associate Professor of Sociology Joseph Soares responded to this by commenting that colleges and universities should try to address these discrepancies and not be complacent by acting as if unfairness is just a fact of life. When admission policies are addressed colleges and universities welcome a more socially diverse group. Soares says he does not want to support the use of a test that accentuates these differences instead of bridging them.