Earlier this term, on January 25th, the third form took tests that marked the culmination of Dr. Robert Sternberg’s multiyear research of the third formers and applicants.  Sternberg and his colleagues at the PACE center at Yale  University have been studying the creativity and adaptability of third formers to help develop what Admissions Director Ray Diffley calls “an assessment tool that will aid the Admissions Office in selecting candidates who are best equipped to succeed at Choate.”

Beginning next year, the Admissions Office will employ Dr. Sternberg’s research by including an optional test in Choate’s application packet.  Mr. Diffley noted that while the test will be used only as “a supplement to more traditional assessment measures,” he believes that such a test “is exciting and useful... [the test] has a future in the landscape of admissions assessment.”

The test that will be offered in the application is an abbreviated version of the assessments administered to the third form.  Third form opinion of the assessment, however, was less than glowing.  “[These tests] are really a waste of time,” commented Noel Titus ’09, “It’s tough to take them seriously.”  Third formers Christian Kelso and Robbie Cholnoky agreed, noting that the tests were too long and repetitive.

The new test differs from the SSAT, which primarily measures analytical intelligence, by focusing more on practical intelligence and creative problem-solving abilities.  The Admissions Office hopes to further utilize Dr. Sternberg’s research by considering creativity in, as Diffley said, “discussions of candidates, so we may select students who are geared for success at Choate.”  Though he doesn’t expect that the tests will dramatically increase the number of applicants, Diffley predicted that “the way people look at Choate will be quite different than all other comparable boarding schools.”

Dr. Sternberg is the Director of the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise (PACE) Center at Yale University.  The PACE Center studies how disparate abilities are related and measured, and considers the various types of intelligence and how they are correlated.  He presently works out of Tufts University where this year he was appointed Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.

Sternberg’s connection to Choate began when his children attended the school in the early 1990s.  Soon after, he was recruited by the Admissions Office to conduct research on Choate’s Icahn Scholars.  Later, he was asked to conduct research on the entire third form, after his “early findings were significant” in assessing the success of Choate students.

Sternberg’s research is based on his Triarchic Theory of Intelligence, which outlines three facets of intelligence that contribute to success.  Sternberg’s tests of the third form deal primarily with the creative and practical facets, which contrast traditional tests, which focus on the analytical facet of intelligence.

The Admissions Office is also looking to streamline the application process by offering online applications to prospective candidates. Mr. Diffley hopes that this innovation will increase applications and make applying to Choate an easier proposition.  This year, however, the Admissions Office expects the number of applicants to increase only slightly, as these changes have yet to be implemented for this year’s applicants.