The non-profit College Board, administrator of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, is tackling its first for-profit subsidiary ever--creating a commercial Web site in an effort to stay competitive with the growing multitude of online commercial SAT-prep courses.
The new www.collegeboard.com web site caters to the concerns of parents and students during the nerve-wracking college search. It offers practice test software, college and financial aid applications, "peer connection" chat rooms and low-cost tutoring -- as well as advertisements.
The testing organization, however, maintains that it is not compromising its commitment to educational values by undertaking such a business venture.
All profits from the advertisements on the web site will go towards the production of the SAT and other tests, said College Board Spokesman Fred Moreno.
The College Board never sees any of the money, he said.
"The main focus behind it is to develop new ways to connect students to college," Moreno said.
But College Board's online competitors disagree.
"Now that they are getting money, they are abandoning their core principles," said Sharon Miller, vice president of the Kaplan Educational Center.
Kaplan also has a for-profit Web site offering six-week online courses to help students prepare for the tests.
Miller said she believes Kaplan has a better claim than the College Board to help prepare students for college.
"The College Board's expertise is in creating tests, not preparing people for tests," she said.
But the College Board asserts that as the maker of the SAT, they can offer more beneficial study material for students.
"We're the experts, so we're just going to try to do it better than anyone. We have a set of educational values that others do not have," Moreno said.
The College Board is free for students -- the Web site receives its budget from the advertisers while the Kaplan site charges students directly for its services.
University Dean of Admissions John A. Blackburn said SAT prep courses can sometimes have a positive effect, but do not guarantee success.
Blackburn also said he does not recommend online preparation because online tests do not simulate the type of environment in which a student eventually will take the test. He said students should actually sit down with a pen and paper to prepare for the SAT.
Ultimately, practice tests and courses alone will not help students to receive good scores, Blackburn said.
"When students study hard [throughout high school] and do good in math and English then they will do good on the SAT," he said.
Read More
Administrators and faculty paint conflicting pictures of May 4 encampment clearing
By Cecilia Mould and Finn Trainer | 3 days agoThe details contested between the town halls included the clarity of the University’s tent policy and the presence of suspicious individuals at the encampment.
Faculty Senate calls for an external review of May 4 clearing of encampment
By Priya Kommu | 3 days agoSenators had questions about the lack of direct communication between University administrators and the students and faculty present at the encampment.
University's last minute update to EHS tent regulations document creates confusion, frustration
By Arshiya Pant | 3 days agoRyan said that he did not believe there was confusion among protesters about the permissibility of tents due to warnings from University officials on several occasions to remove tents.
