Samantha Hetrick
Standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT, once a core metric in the college admissions process, are now being phased out by schools across the country as concerns about equity and fairness continue to rise.
In the United States, the ACT and SAT are the two most widely recognized standardized tests used in college admissions. The ACT measures students’ knowledge across English, reading, math, and science, while the SAT focuses on reading, writing, and math skills. Although both tests have long played a significant role in the application process, many colleges are now moving away from requiring them, with some becoming test-optional and others going completely test-blind, or not considering scores at all. Some schools also offer test-flexible policies, allowing students to submit alternative scores, such as AP or IB exam results.
Critics of standardized testing argue that these assessments are inherently biased, favoring students from wealthier backgrounds while putting those from lower-income households and minority groups at a disadvantage.
A 2019 lawsuit against the University of California found that standardized testing is biased against the lower-class and mainly Hispanic and Black students backgrounds, and data showed that combined scores of White and Asian students averaged 1100+ while other groups averaged below 1000 on the SAT.
In regard to income, research conducted in 2015 by College Abroad also found that students with “family income about $200,000 scored highest, while those with family income less than $20,000 scored lowest.” According to NBC News, this disparity can be attributed, in part, to the fact that affluent families can afford costly admissions advisors and tutors, giving their children a competitive edge.
In a recent shift however, several major private and Ivy league schools are reinstating their ACT and SAT exam requirements with the aim to counter grade inflation and better predict student success, given the exam’s proven correlation with first-year college grades.
Grace Siener, a high school senior, who received a 24 ACT and a 1200 SAT felt that the tests did not accurately represent her academic success.
“I have a 4.0 GPA, but I am not a good tester in any way, shape or form,” Grace said.
Because of this, she doesn’t plan on adding either of the scores to her college applications. By comparison, high school senior Anne Stief, who received a 32 on the ACT, was pleased with her score. She hopes it will set her apart during the admissions process.
Providing a different perspective is Jen Fosnaught, a rising college sophomore. She received a 1350 when she took the SAT.
“I had a pretty dispersed math and English score. In math, I think I had a 55 percentile, and in English I had 97 percentile, so that sums it up. Really good in English, pretty standard in everything else.”
Now a student at Ohio University, Jen said she is glad she made the decision to add her scores to her college application.
“I didn’t really apply to any hard hitters. I do think that’s better than the national average, 1350. I think the standard is 1100, so I did include it on all of my applications just because I know it’s a pretty decent score.”
Since becoming test-optional, many colleges and universities around the country have experienced changes in the selectivity of their admissions and the number of overall applications. Test optional and test blind policies instituted during the pandemic made applications easier for everyone and as a result, the number of applicants at public schools increased dramatically.
According to College Abroad, data collected from 28 institutions in the US…test-optional colleges witnessed an increase in overall applications. University of New England, for example, went test optional in 2019 [and] recorded the highest enrollment in history. Similarly, the University of California at Los Angeles recorded an increase of 30% in international freshman admissions. The increase in college interest and applications is closely related to the reduction of systemic barriers that keep minority groups from accessing this means of upward mobility.
In the United States, the ACT and SAT are the two most widely recognized standardized tests used in college admissions. The ACT measures students’ knowledge across English, reading, math, and science, while the SAT focuses on reading, writing, and math skills. Although both tests have long played a significant role in the application process, many colleges are now moving away from requiring them, with some becoming test-optional and others going completely test-blind, or not considering scores at all. Some schools also offer test-flexible policies, allowing students to submit alternative scores, such as AP or IB exam results.
Critics of standardized testing argue that these assessments are inherently biased, favoring students from wealthier backgrounds while putting those from lower-income households and minority groups at a disadvantage.
A 2019 lawsuit against the University of California found that standardized testing is biased against the lower-class and mainly Hispanic and Black students backgrounds, and data showed that combined scores of White and Asian students averaged 1100+ while other groups averaged below 1000 on the SAT.
In regard to income, research conducted in 2015 by College Abroad also found that students with “family income about $200,000 scored highest, while those with family income less than $20,000 scored lowest.” According to NBC News, this disparity can be attributed, in part, to the fact that affluent families can afford costly admissions advisors and tutors, giving their children a competitive edge.
In a recent shift however, several major private and Ivy league schools are reinstating their ACT and SAT exam requirements with the aim to counter grade inflation and better predict student success, given the exam’s proven correlation with first-year college grades.
Grace Siener, a high school senior, who received a 24 ACT and a 1200 SAT felt that the tests did not accurately represent her academic success.
“I have a 4.0 GPA, but I am not a good tester in any way, shape or form,” Grace said.
Because of this, she doesn’t plan on adding either of the scores to her college applications. By comparison, high school senior Anne Stief, who received a 32 on the ACT, was pleased with her score. She hopes it will set her apart during the admissions process.
Providing a different perspective is Jen Fosnaught, a rising college sophomore. She received a 1350 when she took the SAT.
“I had a pretty dispersed math and English score. In math, I think I had a 55 percentile, and in English I had 97 percentile, so that sums it up. Really good in English, pretty standard in everything else.”
Now a student at Ohio University, Jen said she is glad she made the decision to add her scores to her college application.
“I didn’t really apply to any hard hitters. I do think that’s better than the national average, 1350. I think the standard is 1100, so I did include it on all of my applications just because I know it’s a pretty decent score.”
Since becoming test-optional, many colleges and universities around the country have experienced changes in the selectivity of their admissions and the number of overall applications. Test optional and test blind policies instituted during the pandemic made applications easier for everyone and as a result, the number of applicants at public schools increased dramatically.
According to College Abroad, data collected from 28 institutions in the US…test-optional colleges witnessed an increase in overall applications. University of New England, for example, went test optional in 2019 [and] recorded the highest enrollment in history. Similarly, the University of California at Los Angeles recorded an increase of 30% in international freshman admissions. The increase in college interest and applications is closely related to the reduction of systemic barriers that keep minority groups from accessing this means of upward mobility.
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Grace Siener