Many colleges and universities recently decided to do away with standardized testing requirements, such as the SAT and ACT. Currently, over three-quarters of colleges are not requiring either of these tests for admission this fall, and more than 400 Ph.D. programs have dropped the GRE.
This trend was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, when many students could not access testing sites. But even as more colleges follow this lead, the public believes grades should be the most influential factor in admission decisions.
More than nine-in-ten Americans (93%) say high school grades should be at least a minor factor in admission decisions, including 61% who say they should be a significant factor, according to a March 2022 Pew Research Center study.
Getting Rid of Testing Requirements is a Bad Move?
As more colleges are going test-optional, scores are still critical in college admissions. Most importantly, high school grades, the SAT, and the ACT help colleges and universities evaluate many applications and ensure that students are ready for the rigor of college academics.
A 2019 College Board study of 223,000 exams at 171 universities found that the SAT is “as effective as high school grades in predicting students’ college performance.” And when these two measures are combined, they offer the most accurate understanding of student performance than either measure used alone.
If SAT and ACT scores were only half as accurate as high school grades in predicting college performance, experts believe this is still valuable, incremental information when used in context.
When institutions throw out testing requirements, a notable question and concern is what alternative methods schools will use to select students, Michael Campion, PhD, Herman C. Krannert, Distinguished Professor of Management, said in a recent Talent Select AI interview.
“When tests were originally invented, they were intended to be the fair alternative to other methods because they gave everyone the exact same chances to show their knowledge and skill, regardless of background,” Campion stated. “The alternative selection methods will not only be less accurate statistically but they will be based on the subjective judgment of mostly administrative staff based on qualitative aspects of the candidate’s life history.”
Campion also said that considering factors besides test scores, such as professional experience, extracurricular activities, awards and recognitions, community service, and other types of assessments, helps to consider the total candidate more holistically.
“However, it is important that they are clearly related to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics required by the college and that they are administered in a standardized and unbiased manner,” he concluded.
Is GPA a Better Measure of Student Success?
Although SATs and ACTs provide more substantial merit, some studies found that they reflect strong divisions in economic classes drawn from the rise of tutoring services and the monopolizing of education.
Possibly the most significant offender of establishing this economic inequality in education are tutoring services charging hundreds to thousands of dollars for test preparation, according to a May 2021 study.
Researchers found that students with a family income of $100,000 or more are more than twice as likely as students with a family income under $50,000 to have combined SAT scores of 1400 to 1600 due to higher test preparation.
These statistics indicate the effect this income disparity has on standardized test scores, as it is not a slight difference in score, but a massive difference in score correlated to the gap in economic status.
A 2020 University of Chicago Consortium on School Research study found that GPAs perform strongly and consistently across high schools as a college readiness measure, whereas ACT scores do not.
In fact, students’ high-school grade point averages were five times stronger than their ACT scores in predicting college graduation.
Therefore, institutions might look at GPAs as solid indicators of readiness because they measure a wide variety of the skills and behaviors needed for college success, where students will also encounter widely varying content and expectations.
Should Students Still Take the SAT & ACT?
Experts still recommend students take the SAT or ACT at least once and then decide whether or not to submit their scores based on how well they perform. Both the SAT and ACT have the option to cancel scores if needed.
Additionally, students should research the range of scores between the 25th and 75th percentile for the last admitted class on each college's website to see if their score falls within or above that range.
"If you're in the upper part of that band or above, those scores help you," Anna Ivey, founder of Ivey Consulting, said in an August 2022 US News press release.
"But if you are in the bottom half of that band or below, those scores don't help you. So unless there's some other extraneous reason why you should submit those scores, I would say don't submit them. My general rule for people is to submit your scores only if they are required or if they help you,” she continued.
Many colleges and universities, including test-optional schools, will use SAT or ACT scores to award merit scholarships to incoming students. And many scholarships require an SAT or ACT score as part of the application process.
Even if a college doesn’t require the SAT or ACT for admission, many institutions still encourage students to include these scores in their applications. GPA, college essays, awards and achievements, references, and extracurricular activities become that much more critical without test scores as a factor.
“Considering other factors in addition to test scores, such as past accomplishments, work experiences, extracurricular activities, community service, and other types of assessments (such as those offered by Talent Select AI), would also likely improve prediction by considering the total candidate more holistically,” Campion stated.
“However, it is important that they are clearly related to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics required by the college and that they are administered in a standardized and unbiased manner,” he concluded.
