We concur that analytical abilities are necessary for
success in many academic disciplines. However, we
have also suggested that these abilities may not be
sufficient for college success—particularly for disadvantaged
students. Although the zero-order correlation
between the STATAnalytical test and GPA was approximately
the same magnitude as the correlation between
the SAT and GPA, the analytical section of our test
added little in terms of predictive power over and above
the SAT. Because the SAT is already a well developed,
reliable, and valid measure of analytical skills, we plan
to dispense with the analytical section in future versions
of the Rainbow Project and simply use the SAT as our
analytical measure.
Given that traditional pedagogy emphasizes memory
and analytical skills, it may not be particularly clear
what other student characteristics might determine
success. The theory of successful intelligence proposes
that creative and practical abilities are also important for
success in many areas of life, including college; for
example, creative abilities are important in creating
course projects, written essays, and papers, and practical
skills are important in understanding how to study for
exams, manage time, and infer professors' expectations
for coursework.