Submitted by David Droz, Sep 23, 2008 09:15

Thanks for this article, Bari. The debate regarding the effectiveness of standardized testing is not new, and has recently resulted in an overhaul of the SAT sectioning. Standardized test like the SAT or ACT will never be exempt from socioeconomic bias, and there will always be certain questions or formats that cater better to some students' intellect than to others'. When money can govern these variables so directly as in the case of 1 on 1 tutoring, the playing field is no longer level - it isn't even slanted - its completely different. Private universities costing $50,000 per year offer numerous scholarships for less privledged students, as do the best private high schools. With the level of competition growing ever higher, expensive private tutoring can be a great aid to those who can afford it, but will leave those who cannot at an even greater disadvantage. This trend of high priced tutoring will further distort the view institutions have for choosing qualified learners, and widen the chasm between rich in poor in academia.

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