Standardized testing has been a common method used for college admissions to determine high school students’ intelligence and preparedness for college relative to their peers. However, what is often overlooked when considering SAT and ACT scores for college admission are the factors outside a student’s control that have an affect on their score and therefore disadvantage them when applying for universities. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal on Oct. 7 2014, a major factor that affects standardized test scores is socioeconomic status; underprivileged students achieve significantly lower scores on average compared to their more privileged peers. As such, we at the Wheel believe standardized testing is a corrupt measure of student preparedness for college and emphasis on the test score reduces campus diversity.
Some universities have begun to altogether abolish the SAT and ACT as admissions factors rather than making it “test-optional” like many other schools. According to a recent article in The Washington Post on Sept. 25 2015, Hampshire College, a liberal arts college in Massachusetts that refused to take standardized tests, found that their class diversity increased to 31 percent of students of color, up from 21 percent two years ago and the percentage of students who are the first in their family to go to college rose from 10 percent to 18 percent.
We at the Wheel believe standardized tests are not a holistic assessment a student's preparation for college, which can be judged by other measures such as GPA, application essays and recommendation letters. That being said, we are not comfortable supporting the termination of such a test without replacing it with a more holistic measurement of a students intelligence and preparedness. Standardized testing tends to advantage good test takers, sidelining active and passionate students that have difficulty translating their skills into test scores. An alternative to standardized testing is what some schools have began to try out; portfolios beginning in the 9th grade that comprehensively highlight their high school activities and endeavors.
The SAT and ACT are flawed aptitude tests that have become the standard for comparing high school students across the world. Although measures have been taken to improve the fairness of these tests, there are too many factors that diminish their universality. Some possible solutions are offering an alternative to standardized tests or diminish the importance of standardized test scores in college admission.
The above staff editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel's editorial board.
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