Standardized testing has been used in college applications for years, but do they fully represent the applicant? Although it can reflect on their academic performance and knowledge, what does it reveal about their passions and interests?
Standardized tests such as the SAT, ACT and APs can only reveal so much about a student at face value. In some ways, those tests matter in college admissions because they show that the student is hardworking, diligent and is able to achieve good grades. And to some extent, they do matter.
Access to prep courses, tutors and the time to prepare is a luxury. For students from underfunded schools, low-income backgrounds or rural communities, these resources can be often out of reach. If test scores carry too much weight in admissions, they risk becoming less of a measure of potential and more of a measure of privilege.
“I think that’s where the advantage comes for students who are high achieving and have high test scores,” Mr. Jonathan Na, Associate Director of College Counseling, said. “Because they have access to it, because they have the means to do it, that advantages them.”
Students in communities and schools that don’t have as much access to standardized testing-related resources may have the potential and ability to be successful but cannot express their achievements through the means of test results.
In recent years, especially after the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges have been converting to a test-optional application. Although this change discourages schools from defining students from their test scores, the use of standardized tests will still continue.
“It’s also an industry, right?” Mr. Na said. “They don’t want to go away. The testing industry is a huge money-maker.”
Despite these challenges, schools can still utilize holistic admissions to truly understand their applicants. Test scores still matter, but they aren’t the ultimate factor that determines success. Through the presence of extracurricular activities and awards, colleges should also consider how their applicants are as people, how they impact their community and what their passions are about.
“There are schools out there that have found ways to holistically read the student, to still identify if they’re going to be successful or not,” Mr. Na said.
Standardized testing has a place in admissions, but it shouldn’t take on a role bigger than holistic factors. No single test can truly capture what a student embodies; college admissions must evolve to reflect that reality.