As seniors turn in the majority of their college applications this month, many are realizing that adding their SAT and ACT scores is optional. This is a positive change that emerged in 2020 when students were unable to take standardized tests. While many colleges have reverted to mandatory score submissions this year, they are an unfair representation of students and their academic abilities.
SAT and ACTs measure a student’s abilities in reading, writing, science, and math. While they do differ in many ways (how they are scored, whether they are primarily curriculum- or problem-solving-based, etc), they are both timed and used by colleges for merit scholarships, course placement, and admission decisions. Universities used these tests to measure applicants’ readiness for years before COVID-19 struck in 2020, and schools were unwilling to put students at risk by having them come on campus to test. “The SAT and ACT, which long split schools into pro and anti benches, became optional on many campuses during COVID, justifiably, to avoid mass, close-quarters testing and viral superspreading,” Rich Barlow, a columnist for WBUR, said (Burd). At the time, all were in agreement that students shouldn’t have to take the tests that year for safety reasons; however, when universities saw that students didn’t necessarily need them, it became a large political debate.
Republicans believed that the directors of Higher Education had gotten it wrong and that these standardized tests were necessary for applications. If everyone were tested on a consistent benchmark exam, they would be able to uphold fairness and holistic views within their universities. “Standardized tests have become especially unpopular among political progressives, and universities are dominated by progressives,” David Leonhardt, a journalist for The NYT, said (Burd). People were angered by their decisions to remain test-optional, but their reasons behind it were much more impactful than supporting a political agenda.
While the tests don’t provide a rounded academic portfolio for every student, they are also unfair for applicants who are disadvantaged or lower-income. Just taking the test can be very expensive, but the more schools you send your scores to, also steepens the price. “For children from the bottom 20 percent of the income distribution, only about a quarter of them take the SAT or ACT. Among those, only about 2.5 percent score 1300 or higher. You can see right there what we’re up against in terms of economic inequality in college admissions and success in college and in life,” (Mineo). Universities that remain test-optional will increase accessibility to students who may have never seen college or higher education as a possibility because of their circumstances.
Students whose families can afford to take the test multiple times and practice with tutors often score much higher than those who can’t. If they are unable to take this test and colleges require their test scores, they will never be able to show their academic potential to these colleges and give themselves the opportunity to further their education. “Making submissions of SAT or ACT scores optional is fairer and more equitable for students who come from less-advantaged backgrounds. Data shows that students from high-income families, on average, score higher than those who come from lower-income families,” (Christopher).
This also diversifies colleges and provides access to various demographics that were previously unable to receive a higher education because of a lack of preparation or school accessibility. Many schools aim to “educate and empower a diverse student body”; however, this will only be possible if universities are open to a much wider range of students. While many remain to see standardized tests as a benchmark to compare all applicants, all students are intelligent in their own ways that can’t be measured by a single test.
This year, seniors should think about whether they truly want to be judged based on one test, and college admission representatives should consider if they are fairly considering applicants’ whole academic careers and capabilities.
