Sure, maybe you can make a model that outputs Harvard or Princeton’s results, but how do you explain the difference between Harvard and Princeton? It is easier to get into Princeton as either a jock or a nerd, but at 98th SAT percentile, it is harder to get into Princeton than Harvard. These are the smart jocks or dumb nerds. Maybe Harvard has first dibs on the smart jocks so that the student body is more bimodal at other schools. But why would admissions be more bimodal? Does Princeton not bother to admit the smart jocks? That’s the hypothesis in the paper: an SAT penalty. Or maybe Princeton rejects the dumb nerds. It would be one thing if Princeton, as a small school, admitted fewer nerds and just had higher standards for nerds. But they don’t at the high end. What’s going on? Here’s a hypothesis: Harvard (like Caltech) could admit nerds based on other achievements that only correlate with SATs, while Princeton has high pure-SAT standards.
I don’t think an SAT penalty is very plausible, but nothing I’ve heard sounds plausible. Mostly people make vague models like yours that I don’t think explain all the observations. The hypothesis that Princeton in contrast to Harvard does not count SAT for jocks beyond a graduation threshold at least does not sound insane.
not without digging deep into all the papers running logistic regressions
I take graphs over regressions, any day. Regressions fit a model. They yield very little information. Sometimes it’s exactly the information you want, as in the calculation you originally brought in the regression for. But with so little information there is no possibility of exploration or model checking.
By the way, the paper you cite is published at a journal with a data access provision.
Sure, maybe you can make a model that outputs Harvard or Princeton’s results, but how do you explain the difference between Harvard and Princeton?
Dunno. I’ve already pointed out the quasi-Simpsons Paradox effect that could produce a lot of different shapes even while SAT score increases always help. Maybe Princeton favors musicians or something. If the only reason to look into the question is your incredulity and interest in the unlikely possibility that increase in SAT score actually hurts some applicants, I don’t care nearly enough to do more than speculate.
By the way, the paper you cite is published at a journal with a data access provision.
I have citations in my DNB FAQ on how such provisions are honored mostly in the breach… I wonder what the odds that you could get the data and that it would be complete and useful.
Sure, maybe you can make a model that outputs Harvard or Princeton’s results, but how do you explain the difference between Harvard and Princeton? It is easier to get into Princeton as either a jock or a nerd, but at 98th SAT percentile, it is harder to get into Princeton than Harvard. These are the smart jocks or dumb nerds. Maybe Harvard has first dibs on the smart jocks so that the student body is more bimodal at other schools. But why would admissions be more bimodal? Does Princeton not bother to admit the smart jocks? That’s the hypothesis in the paper: an SAT penalty. Or maybe Princeton rejects the dumb nerds. It would be one thing if Princeton, as a small school, admitted fewer nerds and just had higher standards for nerds. But they don’t at the high end. What’s going on? Here’s a hypothesis: Harvard (like Caltech) could admit nerds based on other achievements that only correlate with SATs, while Princeton has high pure-SAT standards.
I don’t think an SAT penalty is very plausible, but nothing I’ve heard sounds plausible. Mostly people make vague models like yours that I don’t think explain all the observations. The hypothesis that Princeton in contrast to Harvard does not count SAT for jocks beyond a graduation threshold at least does not sound insane.
I take graphs over regressions, any day.
Regressions fit a model. They yield very little information. Sometimes it’s exactly the information you want, as in the calculation you originally brought in the regression for. But with so little information there is no possibility of exploration or model checking.
By the way, the paper you cite is published at a journal with a data access provision.
Dunno. I’ve already pointed out the quasi-Simpsons Paradox effect that could produce a lot of different shapes even while SAT score increases always help. Maybe Princeton favors musicians or something. If the only reason to look into the question is your incredulity and interest in the unlikely possibility that increase in SAT score actually hurts some applicants, I don’t care nearly enough to do more than speculate.
I have citations in my DNB FAQ on how such provisions are honored mostly in the breach… I wonder what the odds that you could get the data and that it would be complete and useful.