Isheem Young enters transfer portal

[BCClone]

This is a common problem. Many students coming to college with no study skills. E en high achievers and when they struggle (however the student defines struggle) it can be mentally damaging. ISU created Psy 131 Study Strategies for that reason to help students learn how to study. I encourage every new freshman I work with to take the class. Best begin on the right foot.

I took that class, it was a waste. Didn’t learn anything in it that my 3rd grade teacher didn’t teach me. I knew how to study but was bored by it. I dislike reading, I prefer doing things and hands on doing. If I can understand why it helps me, I will immerse myself in it. I still have never used any of the chemistry or calculus stuff that was forced on me. Once I hit my majors classes, I was setting the curve in many of them.

 

[carvers4math]

I completely disagree with those who want to exclusively use GPA for college admission due to grading bias in high school. I say this even though all of my boys were valedictorians.

Our high school routinely publishes the top ten percent of the graduating class. It is overwhelmingly dominated by girls every year since I have paid attention. Last year, it was 100 percent girls.

One of my sons’ high school friends is an aerospace engineer at NASA. He was not in the top ten percent at our rural high school. He also has Tourette’s. And a 34 ACT. And excelled at Iowa State University. Pretty sure many students with higher high school rank could not have gotten through Math 165. One of my boys had a classmate he barely knew ask him to help her cheat on the ISU online math placement assessment, which he refused to do.

As long as any subjective element such as “class participation” or subjectively graded projects creeps into grading, boys seem to be subject to discrimination at our school. One teacher was going to throw “all of the boys” into detention one day, then decided to exclude another teacher’s son and my son.

I am a proponent of using multiple assessments. Quality of high school courses taken seems important as well as standardized assessment. The problem I have with just ACT is the bias in the writing of the test itself.

 

[NENick]

This is an excellent post, and I have to believe this is where things are headed. If this happens, and we are not part of the “pro” league, I will be happy and never watch a single game the “haves” play.

What if we are?

 

[brett108]

Research shows that students who enter ISU with outstanding GPA's and mediocre ACT/SAT scores perform better than students who enter ISU with outstanding ACT/SAT scores and mediocre GPA's. When you think about it, it's not surprising.

Remember how disastrous the merit scholar program was? Imagine designing a scholarship program around the pSAT, and expecting great results. My understanding is that they barely averaged above the total of ISU students in GPA. And I love that OU still brags about their total amount of merit scholars.

 

[Rabbuk]

Remember how disastrous the merit scholar program was? Imagine designing a scholarship program around the pSAT, and expecting great results. My understanding is that they barely averaged above the total of ISU students in GPA. And I love that OU still brags about their total amount of merit scholars.

I was a merit scholar and I had like a 2.5 GPA at my first school.

 

[khardbored]

Remember how disastrous the merit scholar program was? Imagine designing a scholarship program around the pSAT, and expecting great results. My understanding is that they barely averaged above the total of ISU students in GPA. And I love that OU still brags about their total amount of merit scholars.

You said it past tense, is it no longer a thing?

I had 4 close friends in high school who all scored high enough on their PSAT's to be merit scholars, 3 of the 4 took free, full-ride scholarships to ISU. I had to admit I was a bit jealous / angry that they were just a "notch" above me but I had to pay in full for college.

One of them somehow figured out how to use some of his merit scholarship money to buy a Super Nintendo (something about getting a credit at the bookstore and then having it refunded).

 

[BikeSkiClone]

Research shows that students who enter ISU with outstanding GPA's and mediocre ACT/SAT scores perform better than students who enter ISU with outstanding ACT/SAT scores and mediocre GPA's. When you think about it, it's not surprising.

Yeah I think GPA/Coursework is indicative of a good set of habits as a student, while the ACT is a good measure of a very narrow set of problem solving skills.

Also ACT and SAT have been under a lot of scrutiny for being a measure of child/family resources more than being a true academic/intelligence measure. Some kids are able to take the test with just the basic prep provided - info sessions, a free practice test or two, and they’ve retained a lot of info from school - and score in the 30s. But a lot of kids scoring in the upper ranges are taking tests multiple times ($$) and/or are paying for weekly private prep sessions (can be a couple thousand $$$). And if you don’t live in an area that provides these services or emphasizes a need to do well on these tests, it’s even harder for kids to do well on them. It’s been a few years since I frequented academic forums but I recall this being a huge topic of research and discussion in the admissions world.

 

[BigTurk]

I took that class, it was a waste. Didn’t learn anything in it that my 3rd grade teacher didn’t teach me. I knew how to study but was bored by it. I dislike reading, I prefer doing things and hands on doing. If I can understand why it helps me, I will immerse myself in it. I still have never used any of the chemistry or calculus stuff that was forced on me. Once I hit my majors classes, I was setting the curve in many of them.

Well it can help with a lot of things but if a student just doesn’t want to be there Psych 131 can’t help with a bad attitude

 

[mred]

You said it past tense, is it no longer a thing?

Used to be tuition plus room and board for all National Merit Finalists. Now it's tuition only, and only for in-state students.

 

[isucyfan]

Used to be tuition plus room and board for all National Merit Finalists. Now it's tuition only, and only for in-state students.

Correct. I have a HS senior who is going to be a National Merit Finalist, and is set on finding a full-ride somewhere. I would have loved it if ISU were an option. It's looking like he might end up at Texas Tech. He will actually make money going there.

 

[mred]

Also ACT and SAT have been under a lot of scrutiny for being a measure of child/family resources more than being a true academic/intelligence measure.

The count of kids scoring a 36 on the ACT used to be in the dozens annually. Now it's in the thousands. It's ironic that, while standardized tests have worked hard to eliminate bias in the test itself, the explosion of test prep had made it so much worse than it ever was.

 

[mred]

Correct. I have a HS senior who is going to be a National Merit Finalist, and is set on finding a full-ride somewhere. I would have loved it if ISU were an option. It's looking like he might end up at Texas Tech. He will actually make money going there.

I will potentially be in a similar situation. I personally took advantage of the old policy. My oldest is just a freshman, but she does extremely well on standardized tests (as well as schoolwork) and will quite possibly be a NMF when the time comes. She loves ISU, but we do not live in Iowa.

 

[ISUTex]

I completely disagree with those who want to exclusively use GPA for college admission due to grading bias in high school. I say this even though all of my boys were valedictorians.

Our high school routinely publishes the top ten percent of the graduating class. It is overwhelmingly dominated by girls every year since I have paid attention. Last year, it was 100 percent girls.

One of my sons’ high school friends is an aerospace engineer at NASA. He was not in the top ten percent at our rural high school. He also has Tourette’s. And a 34 ACT. And excelled at Iowa State University. Pretty sure many students with higher high school rank could not have gotten through Math 165. One of my boys had a classmate he barely knew ask him to help her cheat on the ISU online math placement assessment, which he refused to do.

As long as any subjective element such as “class participation” or subjectively graded projects creeps into grading, boys seem to be subject to discrimination at our school. One teacher was going to throw “all of the boys” into detention one day, then decided to exclude another teacher’s son and my son.

I am a proponent of using multiple assessments. Quality of high school courses taken seems important as well as standardized assessment. The problem I have with just ACT is the bias in the writing of the test itself.

School atmospheres/structure/culture are set up to favor girls in general. Not on purpose. Not for every girl, not for every boy. But in general. Sorry if I offended any of you who don't think that males and females have differences.

 

[Rabbuk]

The count of kids scoring a 36 on the ACT used to be in the dozens annually. Now it's in the thousands. It's ironic that, while standardized tests have worked hard to eliminate bias in the test itself, the explosion of test prep had made it so much worse than it ever was.

Do they count super scored perfects as perfects now or is the test just easier?

 

[mred]

Do they count super scored perfects as perfects now or is the test just easier?

A 36 composite had always been a 36 composite, whether it was actually a 35.75 or whatever.

I don't think the test is easier. The average score is similar to the past. It's the explosion of test prep, which is probably at least somewhat caused by the skyrocketing cost of college.

 

[isucyfan]

I will potentially be in a similar situation. I personally took advantage of the old policy. My oldest is just a freshman, but she does extremely well on standardized tests (as well as schoolwork) and will quite possibly be a NMF when the time comes. She loves ISU, but we do not live in Iowa.

Hit me up if you need any advice. I am out of state, too. There are a few schools that cover full cost of attendance, but aren't top tier and are mostly in the south. For my kid, no student loans overrides everything, and I can't say I blame him.

 

[DeereClone]

Yeah I think GPA/Coursework is indicative of a good set of habits as a student, while the ACT is a good measure of a very narrow set of problem solving skills.

Completely agree. I have a friend from high school that barely graduated high school, proceeded to score a 33 on the ACT, then proceeded to fail/drop out of college.

 

[isu81]

Is someone going to start a new thread if there’s news on Isheem Young? No one gives a **** about your high school academic prowess.

 

[IsUaClone2]

I took that class, it was a waste. Didn’t learn anything in it that my 3rd grade teacher didn’t teach me. I knew how to study but was bored by it. I dislike reading, I prefer doing things and hands on doing. If I can understand why it helps me, I will immerse myself in it. I still have never used any of the chemistry or calculus stuff that was forced on me. Once I hit my majors classes, I was setting the curve in many of them.

Maybe, just maybe, you had an outstanding 3rd grade teacher.

 

[BCClone]

Maybe, just maybe, you had an outstanding 3rd grade teacher.

No. The 131 guy was bad. Basically it was learn on your own. He would hand projects back a month after you turned them in so you couldn’t gauge if you were on the right track and so on. Even cancelled a couple classes due to him being busy.