To the Editor:
In reference to the sentence in an opinions column ("Changing a cheating culture," Nov. 29), "Even without cheating, the amount of money families spend on SAT preparatory classes and tutoring — often thousands of dollars — is absurd and distorts the SAT as a means to compare students between different socioeconomic statuses."
This statement is a little off keel. Are you saying that rich kids do better than others on the SAT because their families can buy them preparatory classes? That's pure speculation. The SAT can in no way be a means to judge a student's socioeconomic status. I for one never took a preparatory class. My family never spent a dime on college prep, and I went to public school. I did just fine on the SAT without ever opening an SAT prep book or taking an SAT prep class. That's because the SAT was designed so that no amount of preparation will make a significant difference. Well, it might help on the verbal section if you go around memorizing all kinds of vocab words. The point is, I doubt there is any correlation between wealth and SAT scores. It's about problem solving skills, and no amount of money is going to buy that.
Aaron Larocque GS
