Toward More Effective College Admissions Procedures

The Student and His Knowledge: A Report to the Carnegie Foundation on the Results of the High School and College Examinations of 1928, was a milestone report commissioned by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York. Also known as the Pennsylvania Study, the effort analyzed the results of comprehensive testing of students in all Pennsylvania high schools, colleges, and universities over several years and brought to light a number of critical educational factors that were not then known and remain relevant today. The study’s findings revealed that seniors in some high schools had already learned more than sophomores in some colleges; that mere standing as a sophomore or senior meant very little unless one knew the quality of the education provided by the institution that the individual attended; that college students pursuing certain majors—notably education—were substantially less well prepared than students pursuing other majors; and that merely having “taken” certain courses did not mean that a student had benefitted from those courses with deep learning.  When the study began, the majority of American colleges and universities relied solely on a student’s high school record for admissions purposes without considering other aptitude or achievement factors. The results of the Pennsylvania Study helped lead to the development of more effective and inclusive admissions procedures.