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Word: whitla (lookup in dictionary) (lookup stats)
Dates: during 1960-1969
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Usage:

...Whitla said that a PRL of 6.0--a prediction of unsatisfactory performance--is generally the cut-off point for applicants, although exceptions are sometimes made, particularly in the case of foreign-born students or students coming from a disadvantaged background...

Author: By Philip Ardery, | Title: PRL--The Secret Summary of Every Harvard Man's Intellectual Status | 11/16/1964 | See Source »

Aptitude is more heavily weighted in public schools because the quality of instruction is slightly lower. But according to Whitla, with each revision of the PRL formula the percentages come closer to identy, "probably because the teaching in public schools is improving...

Author: By Philip Ardery, | Title: PRL--The Secret Summary of Every Harvard Man's Intellectual Status | 11/16/1964 | See Source »

...curiosity of the formula is the omission of the College Board mathematical aptitude score, considered very important by most high school advisors. Whitla said that the score is left out because experiments have shown that including it does not in crease the PRL formula's ability to predict...

Author: By Philip Ardery, | Title: PRL--The Secret Summary of Every Harvard Man's Intellectual Status | 11/16/1964 | See Source »

Nevertheless, the omission of math aptitude is a reversal in emphasis from the testing policies around 1959, at the height of the satellite race. That year the testing office drew up a completely different PRL formula for scientists because, Whitla said, "We felt the present PRL formula might be unfair to them...

Author: By Philip Ardery, | Title: PRL--The Secret Summary of Every Harvard Man's Intellectual Status | 11/16/1964 | See Source »

Glimp added that the use of PRL in admissions is limited by its degree of inaccuracy. But this error is smaller than that of most similar indices, according to Whitla. "Given the narrowness of the range it's pretty good, but you can see how easy it is for the prediction to be wrong," Glimp said. "PRL can't consider any sort of family problems or emotional pressures or what type of courses the guy's going to take at Harvard...

Author: By Philip Ardery, | Title: PRL--The Secret Summary of Every Harvard Man's Intellectual Status | 11/16/1964 | See Source »

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