SAT/ACT Scores in College Admission

How many of us want to be judged solely on test scores? 
 
Standardized testing has a long history in university admissions. Prior to the development of the SAT and ACT, colleges and universities often relied on their own, primarily essay-based assessments. The SAT was first used in admissions decisions in the 1930s, followed by the ACT in the late 1950s. Once used to predict the grade point average of first-year college students, standardized testing has become an inevitable hurdle for students planning to attend college. 
 
Each school has its policy on how or if they use test scores. Some colleges and universities still rely on SAT and/or ACT scores in their admission decisions. Some will use it to determine eligibility for academic/merit scholarships. Others will not consider the scores at all. (Test-optional, test-flexible and test-blind are just a few phrases that describe these policies.)
 
Even before the pandemic, many colleges and universities created policies to evaluate students using a holistic review. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a greater number of schools did not require testing because students simply did not have access to take the tests. Most schools felt that their application review did not suffer without the availability of test scores as part of the evaluation process. By considering a wide variety of factors in their admissions decisions, they continued to enroll academically prepared and engaged students.
 
When evaluating applications, admission representatives want to get a complete picture of who the students are to predict how they might perform on campus. They will look at high school transcripts (especially the rigor of classes taken and the grades earned), personal statements, supplemental essays, extracurricular interests, and letters of recommendation. Certainly, some schools utilize a much more formulaic/statistical approach where testing and GPA are literally charted, and if a student falls in the correct zone, congrats, they’re in! However, most colleges use some type of holistic assessment.
 
Research by colleges and universities has shown that the best indicator of how well a student will perform academically in college is directly correlated to how well they have done in challenging coursework in high school. Four years of academic work versus three and a half hours of testing—what do you think colleges and universities should value?
 
Over 1,700 schools are test-optional, meaning they allow all or some applicants to decide whether or not to submit ACT or SAT scores as part of their application. Students who do not feel that their test scores accurately represent their academic ability are encouraged to consider these schools. 
 
While some universities still rely on test scores, these tests have been shown to provide “only limited predictive validity” of future academic success and “disadvantage women, low-income students, and underrepresented minorities,” according to Fairtest.org.
 
Author Diane Ravitch states, “Sometimes, the most brilliant and intelligent minds do not shine in standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds.”
 
Whether or not students choose to take or submit their scores is up to them. The college counselors are here to help students decide which option puts them in the best possible position to receive a favorable response from the colleges to which they apply. 
 
Students, take the tests seriously and prepare as best you can, but know that test scores do not define you.