There are many problems with relying on SAT and ACT scores for college admissions. But removing them entirely creates less opportunity.
One of the most stressful times in a young person’s life occurs when they’re still a teenager: when they make their decisions surrounding applying to college. Should they apply, and is college right for them? Where should they apply, and what steps should they take and avoid taking in the application process? In recent years, that second question has also included the notion of whether or not those prospective college students should take a standardized test — such as the SAT or ACT — as those tests:
However, the goal of the college admissions process is for admissions officers to make distinctions between applicants who are likely to meet with academic success in college (and beyond) and those who are likely to struggle in college. Although it is true that standardized test scores alone tend to favor wealthy applicants, those tests remain a unique and powerful way for colleges and universities to identify students from schools without deep resources that nevertheless have the potential for extraordinary academic success. Here’s why colleges should — responsibly — include standardized testing as part of their admissions process.
The basics: what is a standardized test?
