Standardized testing has always been a concept that has lasted for generations in the college admissions process. Before the rise of the Common Application and advanced 21st-century resources, there was a conventional stereotype that a high score on either the SAT or ACT would be the golden ticket for adolescents to gain admission to some of America’s most renowned institutions.
But, after the adversity that many students would ultimately face during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, is standardized testing still an accurate measure of an applicant’s academic success in today’s world of college admissions?
It is clear that some universities remain stumped on this multifaceted circumstance. However, three of the eight Ivy League schools–Brown University, Dartmouth College, and Yale University–have already mandated these new requirements for the upcoming admissions cycle after conducting a thorough analysis of their recent admissions data. Yale University uniquely adopted an unprecedented policy called “Text-Flexible,” where students can submit an SAT and/or ACT, Advanced Placement (AP) scores, or International Baccalaureate (IB) examination scores when applying.
However, universities like Princeton, Stanford, Cornell, and the University of Pennsylvania have extended their test-optional admissions policies to after the 2025-2026 application cycle at minimum.
When the COVID-19 pandemic arose in 2020, it provided many inevitable regulations that restricted students from attending testing centers to complete either an SAT or ACT exam. Out of necessity from rapidly expanding quarantine policies and virtual learning, universities decided to create “test-optional” temporary admissions policies in their 2020-2021 admissions cycle, where it would now be up to the student’s discretion to determine if they would submit any standardized test scores as supplementary criteria to accompany their application.
Colleges revealed to applicants that not submitting a standardized test score would not put the applicant at a disadvantage from their peers; however, a strong SAT or ACT score would only strengthen an applicant’s academic qualities. From a sanity perspective, this new policy would theoretically release a burden from academically stimulated teenagers entirely, but for some, there might be an opposite effect employed.
With a rise in extracurricular activities and the establishment of the so-called “passion project” that permeates through social media “for-you” pages daily, it has revealed that it is imperative to follow a more holistic admissions approach if institutions want to maintain their credibility. Standardized testing is nothing more than collateral damage to this societal shift consisting of rapid advancements in technological developments.
An applicant’s character has taken priority over standardized testing and shifted evaluation to extracurricular activities and more subjective qualities as opposed to strictly factual perfection on paper. In recent years, institutions can not sit back and relax through their admissions cycles, though, as a surge in applicants has made them more compelled to overanalyze small distinguishing details.
In some ways, the upward trajectory of college applications is dependent on the creation of the digital Common Application where students only need to fill out their basic information once to send to their universities and thus can dedicate more time to perfecting their more nuanced application components, such as their essays and extracurricular activities.
Still, it is important to acknowledge the implications of The Common Application that has improved the accessibility and simplicity of applying to institutions come with some complications. A downside to this online development happens to be that an increase in applications has further perpetuated hostility between applicants who remain paranoid that they won’t receive that acceptance letter from the school of their dreams during admissions season. It has made the job harder than it has ever been before for admissions officers to craft the perfect class of unique undergraduate freshman students.
This method is definitely more appealing to prospective applicants than the conventional pen-and-paper responses. These new digital options also open up a new set of opportunities that may have not been experienced away from the screen.
Technology remains of the utmost importance in setting students apart from one another when it comes to their contrasting socioeconomic backgrounds. Whether a student prefers preparing for the formatting of the SAT or ACT, belonging to an affluent community ensures that they at least have the opportunity to access resources that their predecessors or financially unfortunate individuals were not accustomed to. In addition, interactive benefits continue to serve as the epitome of coherency and effectiveness for all.
Therefore, these recent changes have proposed the question of whether standardized test scores should be included in the admissions process to begin with, or if all American institutions should permanently become test-optional to create a more inclusive environment for the economically disadvantaged. Controversy ensues in this regard since underprivileged students do not have the luxury of enrolling in expensive test preparation programs, such as Huntington Learning Center and C2 Education.
On the contrary, proponents for implementing standardized testing have chosen to consider the significance of access to free online resources, such as Khan Academy, which can help potential test-takers become experts on test material and strategy. In short, it is important to remember that your score’s fate is in the hands of the test taker to a certain extent, and utilizing all available resources could contribute to considerable improvement, even if not drastic.
Still, by shifting focus from standardized testing, which has been shown to predominantly correlate with a family’s socioeconomic status and median household income, college settings can transform from representing one demographic to creating more diverse communities that highlight the many cultural aspects that compose America.
Standardized testing typically receives criticism for limiting students from developing their extracurricular activities, removing the primary focus on school grades, and creating a boatload of unnecessary stress that surrounds applicants in a never-ending cycle of paranoia.
Brown University has recently expressed interest in reverting to the test mandatory for the upcoming cycle of admissions as well.
The school explained that their test-optional admissions policy came to fruition as a convenient, temporary solution to the global pandemic’s harsh effects and was never intended to permanently reside in their admissions criteria.
They remain set in stone that standardized testing is an important aspect of their application that predicts a student’s academic success at their school, and without that vital information, they may admit students who are not academically qualified to excel in their rigorous curriculum.
“Our analysis made clear that SAT and ACT scores are among the key indicators that help predict a student’s ability to succeed and thrive in Brown’s demanding academic environment,” said Brown University in a statement.
Specifically, to ensure that all students have equal opportunities in the admissions process, the school plans to consider a “testing in context” campaign, which doesn’t diminish the consideration of test scores but aligns with the holistic admissions perspective evident in their application criteria. In short, they plan to continue taking into consideration an applicant’s high school background to contextualize their academic performance.
Admissions committee members typically attempt to evaluate an applicant’s standardized test score in the context of their high school’s resources to avoid discrimination from all possible bases. High schools will likely directly report their average standardized test scores and class offerings to the Office of Admissions or display it through a School Profile online via the Internet.
“Our analysis made clear that SAT and ACT scores are among the key indicators that help predict a student’s ability to succeed and thrive in Brown’s demanding academic environment,” Doyle said. “Consideration of test scores in the context of each student’s background will advance Brown’s commitment to academic excellence and the University’s focus on ensuring that talented students from the widest possible range of backgrounds can access a Brown education.”
Hills Guidance Counselor Marin Donnelly was asked to respond to a few questions, reflecting her perspective on the relevance of standardized testing within college admissions for current admissions cycles and future application opportunities.
“As a school counselor, I have always favored test-optional admissions policies,” she said. “Many students feel that their test score doesn’t reflect their academic potential as compared to their transcript. A student’s academic record, extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation can convey a student’s ability, work ethic, and interests,” Donnelly continued.
The main argument from proponents of standardized testing is that it serves as a unified scale to rate applicants. For example, universities have a difficult time evaluating an applicant’s academic background when they come from schools that utilize different cumulative grade point average (GPA) scales. To help combat this, many admissions officers value the information provided in standardized testing, allowing them to better compare their applicants’ academic aptitude on a fairground.
Schools like the University of Tennessee system require tests; however, the University of Michigan remains test optional for future admissions cycles. Some colleges have even gone to extreme measures to adopt “test blind,” where test scores become irrelevant in the admissions process and are not even considered to begin with. The University of California system is arguably the most reputable school to adopt these policies. UT Austin recently jumped on the bandwagon of their fellow Ivy League counterparts to reintroduce test mandatory policies.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Georgetown University were some of the first national universities that reinstated test scores in their application processes, recognizing the importance of academic accuracy. Even so, MIT demonstrated its resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions by reimplementing test mandatory the first opportunity that came to them in 2022.
Donnelly further elaborated on the relevance of individuality when it comes to selecting the right college to attend during a student’s senior year. She makes it clear that it should be left up to the student’s discretion and is not an immediate decision,
“Students should always consider “fit” when deciding where to apply,” said Donnelly. “Some factors include size, location, academic programs, cost, and admissions rates relative to a student’s academic profile.”
Some universities claim that its addition to a college application will not give a student an advantage over another who applies as test-optional. However, numerous students do not find this assertion to be the case and do stress themselves out completely to obtain that ideal test score. Furthermore, there may never be one definitive explanation for the validity of these exams in determining an applicant’s ability to succeed from a university standpoint.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/03/18/sat-test-policies-confuse-students/
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/us/brown-university-admission-test-optional.html
