The Inequity of Standardized Testing in Elite College Admissions
As the class of 2024’s college decisions are rolling around, the junior class at OHS has seriously started considering their college applications. And one dreaded thing popped up again: required standardized testing. Just when we thought we were moving in the right direction, and the SAT/ACT was fading into the background, many elite colleges, like Dartmouth, Brown, Yale, and MIT, (ones that OHSers hope to end up) among others, have announced they are reinstating requirements for these standardized tests. And now, after hundreds of schools made tests optional during the pandemic, the admissions process is more confusing than ever.
But why? Haven’t we found countless issues with inequity within the standardized testing system? What happens to the kids who can’t afford these tests or test prep, or are bad test takers? This is a big consideration at OHS, especially since we have to pay out of pocket for the test. Despite the recognized problems with standardized tests, these elite universities claim the SAT and ACT scores “can be especially helpful in identifying students from less-resourced backgrounds who would succeed… but might otherwise be missed in a test-optional environment”—a pretty surprising response from these schools given that they are often criticized for catering to the privileged (Churchill).
But many people have been asking whether this is even the case. How could a standardized test that has been historically exclusive, even going as far as “to objectively degrade Black and Brown minds and legally exclude their bodies from prestigious schools” (Kendi, from Churchill’s article) be better at showing all, especially underprivileged, talent rather than evaluating real measures of a student's life experiences and accomplishments?
In reality, reintroducing mandatory testing is more likely to go back to privileging the privileged—those who could afford pricey test prep classes and had the overall advantages in life that lead to higher scores. Although students struggle to perform well in this unbalanced system, they are also stressed by trying to determine if they even need to take these standardized tests or if they should. We don’t know whether to take tests, retake them, or focus our energy elsewhere based on the latest policy changes from different colleges.
Test-optional admissions have seen increased applications, more students accepting offers, and more applicants completing their submissions overall. It allows admissions officers to prioritize essays, recommendations, and other more holistic views of a student, their profile, and their fit on campus—a positive step for equity in this complicated process. Standardized tests will probably never disappear entirely, as some students still want to use them to show their academic ability. But rather than insisting on requiring these tests for elite colleges, schools should take a more holistic view of applicants and work to address systemic imbalances in the current system of admissions.
Works Cited
Churchill, Mary L. “POV: The Decision to Reinstate Mandatory Standardized Tests for College Admissions Is a Mistake.” Boston University, 25 March 2024, https://www.bu.edu/articles/2024/standardized-tests-for-college-admissions-is-a-mistake/. Accessed 30 April 2024.
Natanson, Hannah, and Susan Svrluga. “Return of some SAT requirements scramble college admissions again.” Washington Post, 18 March 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/03/18/sat-test-policies-confuse-students/. Accessed 30 April 2024.