Are Standardized College Admissions Exams Still Important?

 

The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) college admission exam and the ACT (American College Testing) college entrance exam are standardized tests given under controlled conditions to rate a student’s potential for post-secondary academic success. Test scores are compared to nationwide averages, thereby providing a scientifically-based method for comparing a student’s abilities to all other students who took the test at the same time nationwide.

The SAT was the dominant test taken by high school juniors and seniors for many decades, but the number of students taking the ACT test today is now equal to the number taking the SAT. This shift could be a reflection of an effective promotional campaign by ACT, Inc, or the result of a nationwide push for students to complete a rigorous and uniform core curriculum. Close to 40 states now adhere to the “Common Core State Standards” which provides uniform guidelines for what students should have learned by the time they graduate high school. The ACT test would be the test of choice for college juniors and seniors who have taken and excelled at core curriculum coursework.

The choice of which test a prospective college freshman should take depends on the admission requirements of the schools they plan on applying to, and secondarily on their intellectual and academic talents. The SAT reportedly is a better measure of a student’s ability to think through and solve problems, whereas the ACT measures what the student has retained from their high school coursework and the level of difficulty achieved. The two exams are also structured differently, with the SAT being composed of 20 different subject tests within the broad areas of history, languages, English, math, and science, and the ACT is more of a straight forward achievement exam in English, math, reading, and science. Which of the 20 different subject tests offered by the SAT are taken by the student is up to the student, and are typically chosen based on the student’s particular talents. The ACT offers an optional written essay exam, but the written essay exam offered by the SAT is obligatory.

Most colleges and universities require SAT or ACT test scores to be submitted along with other admissions materials before their application will be considered. Some institutions will accept scores from either test, but the student should check to be sure which test, if any, is required by the schools they plan on applying to.

Almost since their inception the standardized college admissions exams have generated some controversy. Proponents argue the exams teach prospective college students essential test-taking skills, compensates for the practice of inflating GPAs (Grade Point Averages) in some school districts, and are unbiased because they are mostly machine graded. Critics argue the exams are inherently biased in favor of economically advantaged students who attend private or well-funded public schools and can afford SAT/ACT preparatory training, and biased against women and ethnic minorities. Critics have also cited research studies which found that academic performance in high school was a much better predictor of college success than the SAT or ACT exams.

As a result of the continued controversy, many liberal arts colleges and a few universities have either stopped requiring SAT/ACT scores or have made them voluntary. This seeming shift away from basing college admissions on these tests scores is misleading though, since most of the institutions distancing themselves from these entrance exams are considered non-competitive. Non-competitive colleges and universities are schools that will accept any student if their performance in high school was satisfactory and they can afford the cost of attendance. Competitive schools include most research universities and colleges. According to a press release by www.ivybound.net, competitive schools are actually putting more emphasis on standardized test scores as a way to compare students from diverse academic backgrounds. In support of this observation, the annual US News & World Report survey of college and university admissions requirements ignores incoming freshman GPA scores and emphasizes SAT/ACT scores.

Competitive colleges and universities also compete for the best students by offering merit based scholarships. These scholarships, which can supply anywhere from 2,000 to 200,000 dollars in academic financial support, can have a potentially profound impact on a student’s academic and thus future success. To qualify for scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Program high school juniors must first do well on the standardized PSAT (Preliminary SAT) exam. To remain in contention for the merit scholarship the student must then do as well on the SAT typically taken at the beginning of their high school senior year.

The selection process for determining merit-based scholarships is not immune to controversy either. Both the University of California (six institutions) and the University of Texas at Austin stopped awarding merit-based scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Program. There is some concern whether many of the merit scholars even need the money. At the University of Texas close to 25% of the merit scholars never applied for federal financial aid. The increase in needy students during the current economic downturn was also cited as a reason by administrators at the University of Texas for discontinuing the merit scholarship program at their school, and shifting these resources to need-based aid. University of California officials cited the reliance on standardized test scores for scholarship selection, in lieu of prior academic performance, as being inconsistent with their principles that a more holistic process should be used.

So, are SAT and ACT test scores important? That depends on which colleges and universities the student plans on applying to, and whether they are in a position to compete for merit-based scholarships. If the student intends to apply to only liberal arts colleges then taking a standardized admissions exam may not be necessary. If the student is planning on throwing their hat into the competitive admissions arena common to most research universities, then taking one or both exams, and doing well, will likely be required for consideration. If the student has qualified for a National Merit Scholarship by taking the PSAT, then getting a similar score on the SAT will be required to remain in consideration.