It’s encouraging. The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) issued a report urging colleges and universities to consider dropping the test score requirement for admissions. Fair Test lists over 800 four-year institutions that don’t use the ACT or SAT in their admissions decisions. Schools that have gone test-optional report no decline in academic quality, while many report an increase in applicants who are academically capable and diverse.
Over at the Common Application, the number of member schools has climbed to 391, with a record 49 new members joining in 2009-10. Why is that significant? The Common App’s members pledge to use a “holistic” view of students in the admissions process. That means they must consider subjective information (such as the essay and teacher recommendations) in addition to scores and grades.
But there’s another side to this story. Most public institutions are not only still requiring test scores, but they’re using them to become even more selective. An increasing number of applicants is just one reason. Diane D’Amico reported this week that for New Jersey students, competition to get into their state schools is tougher; as private tuition soars beyond the reach of many, public schools are receiving more applications. And that means they can be choosier about who they admit. When D’Amico compared the average SAT scores of New Jersey colleges and student results, she found that most students did not score high enough to meet the standards now set by the affordable public institutions that were once a “sure thing.”
For schools like the University of Vermont, in-state students aren’t just facing competition from each other. With a record 72% of the freshman class coming from out-of-state, UVM is bringing in the tuition dollars (out-of-state tuition is more than double the price of in-state). But they’re making it much harder for students from Bennington and Burlington to attend.
An article in the Washington Post cites a similar trend in other public institutions, although at nowhere near the level of UVM. “William and Mary accepted more non-Virginians than Virginians for the first time in recent years. The college has become progressively more selective for state residents: A Virginia high school senior who applied to William and Mary four years ago had a 47 percent chance of getting in. This year's admit rate was 39 percent. For non-Virginians, in the same span, the admission rate has risen from 22 to 30 percent.” Of all the schools mentioned in the article, only William and Mary exceeded the 50% mark.
Most students can benefit from the declining reliance on SAT scores as an admissions factor. But those who seek an affordable degree from an in-state school may be surprised to find that their performance on standardized tests isn’t just a factor—it could get them rejected, while an out-of-state student with lower scores (and a higher tuition bill) gets in.
Worried? I’ll be attending a free teleseminar on “Everything You Need to Know about the SAT” on March 9th. Presented by the California Learning Strategies Center, a former Curriculum Director for Kaplan Test Prep and creator of Peterson’s SAT Online course will explain why colleges still want your scores, when and how many times to take it—and he’ll answer your questions. Check here to register.
Comments
I wouldn't be sorry to see them dropped all together. As an instructor at a state school where I live (guess which), I saw consistently rising test scores paired with consistently falling academic quality over the last eight years (how long I've been teaching). In addition, at least 50% of my teenage step-daughters' homework now is taking practice tests for standardized tests, and they attend a school system with a high academic reputation. My guess is simple: they practice taking the tests and get higher, more meaningless scores on them as a result and then colleges use that information to make decisions (apparently unfairly by what your article points out) and to affect policy within the school that hurts everyone. Not good.
I have mixed feelings. Due to different types of intelligence, the scores are still important, but should be taken 'holistically' along with other elements. On the other hand, tests measure an abstract ability to perform academically that must be learned, not at the expense of real education, however. In regards to colleges accepting out-of-state applicants, to me it shows those states are failing -comparatively- to educate those they graduate. The dilemma is whether to lower the bar -or eliminate it- to cater to those with lesser academic excellence or to admit whoever -from wherever- deserves it. As it is, the US has fallen way behind many other nations in producing the caliber of job applicants needed at the numbers needed. Lowering the bar would mean that college graduates would find it more difficult to get the jobs that will be given to those with the right qualifications. Is that what we want? We would lose our global 'edge' and have tons of meaningless diplomas out there!
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