Students Win $2.85M on SATs

College Board dismisses 'a couple points,' touts test-takers' diversity

(NEWSER) - The average SAT score for 2007 was the lowest in years, but that's not necessarily bad news. Scores from round two of the revamped college-entrance exam declined an average of seven points nationwide, which the College Board chalks up to greater participation, particularly among students who weren't on a traditional college-prep path, the AP reports. More»

Thin-letter notices reach students in record numbers

(NEWSER) - The dreaded thin letter from college admissions offices is cluttering mailboxes in record numbers this year, but you'd think the elite of the elite would be safe. Not so, reports the Austin American-Statesman, which talks to local top students, including one who capped his impressive high school record with perfect scores on his SAT and ACT but failed to sway Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, and others. More»

Sick students start school in quarantine zones

(NEWSER) - College freshers across the country are starting their life in higher education confined to buildings full of their coughing peers, the New York Times reports. Fearing the virus will sweep through campuses, colleges have set up quarantine dorms for sick students, keeping them out of class and plying them with food and medication. Estimates are there are 2,000 current swine flu cases at colleges, and many, many more on the way. More»

(NEWSER) - Minority participation in the SAT is up to 40% in 2009, the highest level ever, the Washington Post reports. That's up 2 points since last year and a whopping 10 points since 1999. “More than ever, the SAT reflects the diversity of students in our nation's classrooms," says the president of the College Board, which crafts the test. Overall scores (out of 2,400) fell 1 point each in critical reading (501) and writing (493), while math remained the same (515). More»

Unable to find work, New Yorker wants her $70K back

(NEWSER) - After months of looking for work, fed up New Yorker Trina Thompson is suing her college for the $70,000 she spent on tuition. Monroe College's Office of Career Advancement hasn't done enough to help her find employment, the 27-year-old spring graduate claims in a suit filed in Bronx Supreme Court. More»