Watt - Not looking good

Aug 18, 2016
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From what I have read it doesn't look good. Apparently there is a little more to the story. We all knew that the ACT score and the GPA didn't necessarily "match up", come to find out there is an SAT score that is more in line with the GPA. It's a red flag when the ACT and GPA don't match up but when the SAT is low too, that is a huge red flag.
 

Harry Caray

All-American
Feb 28, 2002
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From what I have read it doesn't look good. Apparently there is a little more to the story. We all knew that the ACT score and the GPA didn't necessarily "match up", come to find out there is an SAT score that is more in line with the GPA. It's a red flag when the ACT and GPA don't match up but when the SAT is low too, that is a huge red flag.

So they think he cheated on his ACT? How would that even be possible?
 

jlb321_rivals110621

All-American
Aug 8, 2014
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So they think he cheated on his ACT? How would that even be possible?

you have someone else take it - need fake ID etc

I'm sure it isn't the case - but I hope we didn't help facilitate any type of irregular activity (if present) surrounding this test

if it is proven to be fraudulent - it would not be unreasonable for the NCAA to at least take a look - again there is no way I think we would be that stupid
 
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tro80

Senior
Nov 17, 2014
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took it twice, reportedly. With a 27 and a 25. Its not out of the realm of possibilities to score better on the ACT, given that it measures different comprehension and thinking patterns than the SAT, as I understand it. And, it is entirely possible for someone with average or slightly better intelligence who has a low GPA because he was lazy in high school or did very poorly freshman and sophomore year before turning it around to score in the mid-20s on the ACT with some preparation. But, my guess is they won't get around to providing an answer in time for him to enroll at UNL for the fall. Instead of going JUCO, couldn't he just sit out the semester and enroll in January, therefore not giving up a year of eligibility? on the other hand, if he doesn't plan to be in college four years anyway, then might as well use up a year in JUCO for development, I guess. And I suppose if ACT folks ultimately reject the scores, then he'd be a semester behind on JUCO work. Tough position for the kid to be in.
 

Skerz4Life50

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Nov 24, 2013
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The hold up is actually not from the NCAA. It is from the ACT. They were asked to look into his scores, and it seems they are taking their sweet time. The NCAA is just waiting to hear back from them before making any decisions.
 

HUSKERFAN66

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Dec 8, 2004
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ACT scores and sat scores can be quite different. My understanding is that one measures what you know and the other measures your ability to learn. One penalizes wrong answers but not unanswered ones (sat) and the other only credits correct answers (act). Not sure if this is the case since Sat weren't available to us in the stone age. Can anyone add to or verify my understanding?
 

Harry Caray

All-American
Feb 28, 2002
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ACT scores and sat scores can be quite different. My understanding is that one measures what you know and the other measures your ability to learn. One penalizes wrong answers but not unanswered ones (sat) and the other only credits correct answers (act). Not sure if this is the case since Sat weren't available to us in the stone age. Can anyone add to or verify my understanding?

Yes, ACT does not penalize wrong wrong answers, so it encourages students to guess on questions they are unsure of.

The SAT penalizes wrong answers, so you may be better off not answering questions you are unsure of.
 

DuecesWild969

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Don't they have full time video now in those testing locations? Could easily see if someone else took the test for him
 

GeauxBigRed

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Oct 4, 2014
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Yes, ACT does not penalize wrong wrong answers, so it encourages students to guess on questions they are unsure of.

The SAT penalizes wrong answers, so you may be better off not answering questions you are unsure of.

Not true. Neither test will deduct points for a wrong answer. Biggest difference besides the scoring scale is that’s SAT does not has a science section where ACT does. Also, your composite SAT score is just based on Math and Evidence-Based Reading. Your ACT composite score is based off of English, Math, Science, and Reading.
 

GeauxBigRed

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ACT will even flag kids if they jump up more than 4 points between tests. If they conclude something they can have a student take retake it and void the score in question without a lot of evidence.
 

saluno22

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Mar 1, 2006
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Not true. Neither test will deduct points for a wrong answer. Biggest difference besides the scoring scale is that’s SAT does not has a science section where ACT does. Also, your composite SAT score is just based on Math and Evidence-Based Reading. Your ACT composite score is based off of English, Math, Science, and Reading.
That changed in the last decade or so, right? I take it the writing section is now gone, too?
 

dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,548
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So are you saying Watt is a hell of a guesser?
I was a very good guesser evidently too. I didn't really give a rip in high school. I did not EVER take a book home from school and routinely missed at least my first period classes. I think my teachers gave me a social promotion so they wouldn't have to put up me with another year. Class rank somewhere in the middle of the pack. ACT score was the highest in my class. The point is they had better have some pretty good evidence that he cheated. They have no idea how prepared he was for the first test, whether or not he got adequate sleep the night before he did poorly, etc.
 
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Aug 18, 2016
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I was a very good guesser evidently too. I didn't really give a rip in high school. I did not EVER take a book home from school and routinely missed at least my first period classes. I think my teachers gave me a social promotion so they wouldn't have to put up me with another year. Class rank somewhere in the middle of the pack. ACT score was the highest in my class. The point is they had better have some pretty good evidence that he cheated. They have no idea how prepared he was for the first test, whether or not he got adequate sleep the night before he did poorly, etc.


Cool
 

LouisK

Freshman
Dec 18, 2001
539
91
28
I was a very good guesser evidently too. I didn't really give a rip in high school. I did not EVER take a book home from school and routinely missed at least my first period classes. I think my teachers gave me a social promotion so they wouldn't have to put up me with another year. Class rank somewhere in the middle of the pack. ACT score was the highest in my class. The point is they had better have some pretty good evidence that he cheated. They have no idea how prepared he was for the first test, whether or not he got adequate sleep the night before he did poorly, etc.
Hmmm, very suspect. It seems that you either had a really stupid class or you're not telling the truth. At my school, there was no way, not a chance, zero probability that someone who was middle of the class ranking and didn't apply themselves would have been anywhere near the top of the class for an ACT score.
 

jeans15

Heisman
Feb 23, 2011
253,663
59,077
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took it twice, reportedly. With a 27 and a 25. Its not out of the realm of possibilities to score better on the ACT, given that it measures different comprehension and thinking patterns than the SAT, as I understand it. And, it is entirely possible for someone with average or slightly better intelligence who has a low GPA because he was lazy in high school or did very poorly freshman and sophomore year before turning it around to score in the mid-20s on the ACT with some preparation. But, my guess is they won't get around to providing an answer in time for him to enroll at UNL for the fall. Instead of going JUCO, couldn't he just sit out the semester and enroll in January, therefore not giving up a year of eligibility? on the other hand, if he doesn't plan to be in college four years anyway, then might as well use up a year in JUCO for development, I guess. And I suppose if ACT folks ultimately reject the scores, then he'd be a semester behind on JUCO work. Tough position for the kid to be in.


Never go JUCO if you don't have too. Never.
 

Solana Beach Husker

All-Conference
Aug 7, 2008
14,102
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I was a very good guesser evidently too. I didn't really give a rip in high school. I did not EVER take a book home from school and routinely missed at least my first period classes. I think my teachers gave me a social promotion so they wouldn't have to put up me with another year. Class rank somewhere in the middle of the pack. ACT score was the highest in my class. The point is they had better have some pretty good evidence that he cheated. They have no idea how prepared he was for the first test, whether or not he got adequate sleep the night before he did poorly, etc.

Many large urban schools have people score perfect or near perfect, but I suppose if it is a rural area that has had similar educational exposure then the lazy kid could certainly remember more than other kids who had the same experiences.
 

oldjar07

All-Conference
Oct 25, 2009
9,472
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I was a very good guesser evidently too. I didn't really give a rip in high school. I did not EVER take a book home from school and routinely missed at least my first period classes. I think my teachers gave me a social promotion so they wouldn't have to put up me with another year. Class rank somewhere in the middle of the pack. ACT score was the highest in my class. The point is they had better have some pretty good evidence that he cheated. They have no idea how prepared he was for the first test, whether or not he got adequate sleep the night before he did poorly, etc.
It's really not all that uncommon or that surprising that someone would do better on a standardized test than the grades they get in class. I agree they should have actual evidence if he did cheat and not invalidate the score unless they do have evidence.

And the fact this decision is taking so long, past the point of classes starting, is ridiculous. This is affecting this kids future and he'll likely have to go to a juco to play football.
 
Aug 18, 2016
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It's really not all that uncommon or that surprising that someone would do better on a standardized test than the grades they get in class. I agree they should have actual evidence if he did cheat and not invalidate the score unless they do have evidence.

And the fact this decision is taking so long, past the point of classes starting, is ridiculous. This is affecting this kids future and he'll likely have to go to a juco to play football.

It isn’t necessarily the fact that he did better on the standardized test. It’s that he did considerably better on one standardized test. Had he scored high on th SAT as well I doubt this investigation is still going on. But he didnt, his SAT score was what you would think it would be based on his GPA.
 

dinglefritz

Heisman
Jan 14, 2011
51,548
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Hmmm, very suspect. It seems that you either had a really stupid class or you're not telling the truth. At my school, there was no way, not a chance, zero probability that someone who was middle of the class ranking and didn't apply themselves would have been anywhere near the top of the class for an ACT score.
Believe it or not. I have no reason to lie. Two other people in my class received Regents scholarships. I didn't get a Regents scholarship because of my class rank but I got all kinds of other money from UNL and then once I pulled a 4.0 the first semester, school was pretty much free. I owed $250 at the end of 3 years when I was accepted to a professional school and I had basically borrowed that to date my now wife. Had the highest National Board exam score of my professional school class too despite a middling GPA. You know the funny thing is, nobody has ever asked me my class rank when they call me Dr. Soooo, the moral of the story is, class rank, GPA and standardized test scores do not always correlate well.
 

huskerssalts

All-Conference
Oct 6, 2014
7,213
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Weird how this worked out. We went from thinking D Watt would make it and play this year and M Washington would be lucky to even join the team to play next year and so on. To Washington making and playing this year and Watt (which appears now) won’t make it at all. Maybe Juco route and a later recruitment back to our Huskers?? I’m not trying to knock Watt at all but if we had to choice between D Watt and M Washington and we could only have the one. I’m definitely glad we got Maurice Washington then. But I’m greedy, I really wanted them both.