--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The single largest variable that predicts…" description: "\"The single largest variable that predicts SAT scores is family income. If you want higher SAT scores, you need to get your kids born into wealthier fam..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/paul-houston-268668_boots_the-single-largest-variable-that-predict_2427255.jpg" --- # The single largest variable that predicts SAT scores is… ![“The single largest variable that predicts SAT scores is family income. If you want higher SAT scores, you need to get your kids born into wealthier families. You know, it's great to tell kids to pull themselves up by their own boot straps, but you better put boots on them first.” quote by Paul Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/paul-houston-268668_boots_the-single-largest-variable-that-predict_2427255.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/paul-houston-268668_boots_the-single-largest-variable-that-predict_2427255.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/271/paul-houston-268668_boots_the-single-largest-variable-that-predict_2427255.jpg) > “The single largest variable that predicts SAT scores is family income. If you want higher SAT scores, you need to get your kids born into wealthier families. You know, it's great to tell kids to pull themselves up by their own boot straps, but you better put boots on them first.” [Paul Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-houston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. States that family income is the strongest predictor of SAT scores, arguing that socioeconomic advantage precedes academic success and questioning merit‑based narratives. **In simple terms:** Wealth influences test outcomes. Key Takeaway Address economic inequality in education. Themes education equity socioeconomic disparity meritocracy Mood critical analytical Type Boots:0 Born:0 Diversity:0 Education:0 Family:0 Firsts:0 Higher:0 Ifs:0 Income:0 Justice:0 Kids:0 Knows:0 Needs:0 Sat:0 Sat scores:0 Score:0 Social justice:0 Variables:0 Want:0 Predicts Sat:0 Higher Sat:0 Scores Need:0 Variable Predicts:0 When to use this quote - academic counseling - public policy - community programs Key Concepts policy reform school funding family support Questions to Reflect On - How can we level the educational playing field? - What role should socioeconomic factors play in admissions? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boots/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Diversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversity/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Higher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher/) [Higher Sat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-sat-233872/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Predicts Sat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predicts-sat-233871/) [Sat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sat/) [Sat scores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sat-scores/) [Score](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/score/) [Scores Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scores-need-233873/) [Social justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-justice/) [Variable Predicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variable-predicts-233874/) [Variables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variables/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [I'm arrogant enough to tell you that I'm smart enough to have scored higher on my Scholastic Aptitude Test than any US president whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goad/i-m-arrogant-enough-to-tell-you-that-i-m-smart-enough-to-have-scored/) [Jim Goad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goad/) > [“The U.S. Air Force Academy likewise sought racial “diversity” through double standards. 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The only difference is that we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/people-are-idiots-including-me-everyone-is-an-idiot-not-just-the/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [When the students were asked to identify their race on a pretest questionnaire, that simple act was sufficient to prime them with all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-the-students-were-asked-to-identify-their-race-on-a-pretest/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [You must realize that honorary degrees are given generally to people whose SAT scores were too low to get them into schools the regular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-simon/you-must-realize-that-honorary-degrees-are-given-generally-to-people/) [Neil Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-simon/) > [They're coming out of high school exhausted. The pressure in high school is killing these kids. By the time they get to college, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-spar/they-re-coming-out-of-high-school-exhausted-the-pressure-in-high/) [Debora Spar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-spar/) > [Want to know why American students' SAT scores are falling? We've kicked the light of the world out of the classroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/want-to-know-why-american-students-sat-scores-are-falling-we-ve/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [The SAT is not perfect. We all know smart, knowledgeable people who do badly on standardized tests. But neither is it useless. SAT scores…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/the-sat-is-not-perfect-we-all-know-smart-knowledgeable-people-who-do/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [You still remember your SAT scores. And everybody else does too. Everybody's forgotten everything about themselves, everything else about high school. They remember their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-katzman/you-still-remember-your-sat-scores-and-everybody-else-does-too/) [John Katzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-katzman/) > [If colleges wanted to admit only legacies, or only tuba players, or only people who got astonishingly low SAT scores ' to ensure some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/if-colleges-wanted-to-admit-only-legacies-or-only-tuba-players-or/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [As a social and as a personal force, religion has become a dependent variable. It does not originate; it reacts. It does not denounce;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-wright-mills/as-a-social-and-as-a-personal-force-religion-has-become-a-dependent/) [C. Wright Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-wright-mills/) > [As the variable capital always stays in the hands of the capitalist in some form or other, it cannot be claimed in any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/as-the-variable-capital-always-stays-in-the-hands-of-the-capitalist/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) ## More Boots quotes > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Personally, I don't really have a set style or look. 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A man can face the world with something on his feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/he-felt-more-human-with-his-boots-on-a-man-can-face-the-world-with/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [Iron and coal dominated everywhere, from grey to black: the black boots, the black stove-pipe hat, the black coach or carriage, the black iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/iron-and-coal-dominated-everywhere-from-grey-to-black-the-black-boots/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [I have crooked toes from wearing boots that didn't fit me because that's all I could afford as a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lomu/i-have-crooked-toes-from-wearing-boots-that-didn-t-fit-me-because/) [Jonah Lomu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lomu/) > [I always felt so much more comfortable in the Western. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [I wore hot pants and cowboy boots and I thought, 'What have I gotten myself into?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alek-wek/i-wore-hot-pants-and-cowboy-boots-and-i-thought-what-have-i-gotten/) [Alek Wek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alek-wek/) [Browse all 1,025 Boots quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boots/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The single largest variable that predicts SAT scores is family income. If you want higher SAT scores, you need to get your kids born into wealthier families. 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