Towards the beginning of April, while many Freshmen were desperately searching for a field of concentration and finding no hope in any om them, 175 Yardlings received a short, but highly interesting letter. To many the contents of the letter proved to be a godsend, to others, a new headache.

The letter suggested that "the Following fields, in order, would be the most suitable for you." It then went on to list three fields of concentration such as Anthropology, Music, and Philosophy, or Biology, Economics, and Architectural Sciences.

The letter continued, "This does not mean that you would be unable to handle other fields just as well; it means that, as far as I can tell . . . these are the fields that would come closest to satisfying your interests and abilities. I hope you find these suggestions helpful."

The suggestion of concentration was based on an analysis of two tests, the Kuder Preference Record and the Aptitude Survey, which these 175 Freshmen took during the winter.

The analyzer of the test scores and the initiator of this system of concentration advice is Henry S. Dyer '27, director of the University Office of Tests.

The Office of Tests, set up in 1945 under the direction of Dyer, deals with many other types of tests. It processes the results of the College Boards and makes up a predicted rank list for applicants on the basis of the Board scores. It sets up the placement tests used in many fields and the general proficiency tests for all-incoming graduate students. It also scores all objective tests used in hour and final exams.

Scientific Basis

Testing to provide the basis for concentration advice was started in 1946. Its purpose, as expressed by Dyer, was "to get a series of interest and aptitude tests that could be used to predict the field of concentration in which a student would succeed best."

Dyer points out that up to that time, advice on concentration had been purely subjective. The idea of these new tests was to provide a check by having information on how students who have entered the various fields in the past have done on a series of objective tests.

In the first few years the tests were given with no attempt at prediction of concentration. The effort was to get a backlog of test scores which would provide the check for future predictions.

Now Dyer has the class of 1950, the first class to take the tests, classified by summa, magna, and cum laude, graduation without honors, late graduation, and no graduation. By comparing how these classes of students in the various fields of concentration did on the tests, he can predict what field of concentration would seem to be the best for a particular student taking the tests this year.

The suggestion of concentration is actually based on three factors.

The first is the "general calibre" of the student, taken from the predicted rank list. Dyer points out that certain fields require more general ability than others. For example, students concentrating in Mathematics have an average predicted rank of Group III, while Government concentrating have an average Group IV ranking.

Interest Essential

The second factor--interest--is ascertained from the Kuder Preference test. As Dyer puts it, this, test is simply, "a device for helping you make a detailed analysis of your own likes and dislikes for various kinds of activities."