Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site gatech.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!floyd!whuxlb!pyuxll!eisx!npoiv!npois!hogpc!houxm!hocda!spanky!burl!sb1!sb6!emory!gatech!spaf From: spaf@gatech.UUCP Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Re: Re: Sickened by the sickening "sickning" controversy Message-ID: <278@gatech.UUCP> Date: Fri, 8-Jul-83 09:04:43 EDT Article-I.D.: gatech.278 Posted: Fri Jul 8 09:04:43 1983 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Jul-83 18:57:33 EDT References: <5513@unc.UUCP> Organization: Georgia Tech, School of ICS Lines: 47 SAT scores do not a valid comparison make. (Like that construction?) Nor do GRE scores or the results of any other standardized test provide valid grounds for comparison of much other than how talented the test takers are at taking the tests. They especially don't prove anything about how good a school is, except to show (probably inflated) admission requirements. Put 20 geniuses on a desert island somewhere (by the way, for those of you who cannot spell, please strand me on a dessert island somewhere) and they'll still have impressive scores on their tests. Does that make it a good school? My comments are not intended to impugn the reputation of UNC or of any other school. Rather, I want to point out that if you intend to make comparisons about schools be sure you are comparing the right things. I went to a small state-supported school (SUC Brockport in NY). I had been accepted at schools like Princeton and UofR but felt a smaller, less competitive school was "better" for *me*. They had a special, time-variable degree program and a number of very good faculty who were more interested in teaching than in research. That means you won't see the name of the college in many publications as the origin of research. Still, I am convinced that I got a very fine education there. In fact, I doubt that I would have learned so many important things at a "more impressive" school because I would have spent so much time just trying to survive. If you want to judge it by score results, 2/3 of all of the math/computer science double majors who graduated the year I did had scores above 800 on the GREs (this was before ETS put the 800 limit on), and 1/3 of us got NSF graduate fellowships. UNC needs no defense. You are a representative of UNC when you correspond on the net and we can draw our own conclusions. I'm sure everyone out here knows of the fine reputation that UNC has. Basketball would just not be the same without UNC. Neither would your keyboard. -- "The soapbox of Gene Spafford" CSNet: Spaf @ GATech Internet: Spaf.GATech @ UDel-Relay uucp: ...!{sb1,allegra}!gatech!spaf ...!duke!mcnc!msdc!gatech!spaf