Standardized testing has been a rising issue for years, especially in the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Before the pandemic and during the pandemic prominent colleges across the United States have been dumping the requirements on standardized tests. For instance, colleges like The University of California and The University of Chicago, all stepped away from the use of the SAT and ACT, some claiming the tests are not better indicators of student overall success than high school GPA. At the same time, others discuss the recent jump in prominent colleges leaving behind the SAT and ACT. Topics vary in this heated debate, but one concept is certain. Although SAT scores can help a little to predict student success in colleges, standardized testing should be abandoned because of the correlation of student graduation rates, and the number of colleges and universities that have ended requirements on standardized testing.
Even though some argue that SAT scores can better help predict student success in college, standardized tests should not be utilized by colleges. The opposition argues that the SAT can help better predict a student’s success in their first year of college. According to the article, “Why Is the SAT Falling Out of Favor?” Multiple studies have shown that grade point average, the SAT, ACT and other components, help predict student success in their first year of college (Hubler). The opposition believes that the SAT is a much better indicator of a student’s success in the future. Yet, those opposed must note that, according to that very same article, “Some studies have suggested that high school grades better measure a students likelihood of graduation and cumulative performance in college,” (Hubler). Clearly one can tell that the SAT is no longer the best way to measure a students academic success in college. This is logical because a student’s grades in high school have been tallied for years, and to judge someone’s academics based on one single test is bizarre. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to state that high school GPA is the best way to judge a student’s future in college.
Since there is a low correlation of student graduation rates, standardized tests should be reevaluated by colleges across the United States. According to the article, “Should Colleges Abandon SAT Score Requirements?” If a student takes the SAT or ACT and receives a high score, but has below par grades then that student only has a 51% of graduation (Cooper). To illustrate, if a student sits in a room to take the SAT for three hours, gets an appreciable score, but has poor grades surrounding them, they only have a 51% graduation rate. This is a combination of the SAT and high school GPA. On the other hand, less selective colleges and public schools are showing that a student with a high SAT score, and high grades surrounding them, has a 62% chance of graduation within six years (Cooper). This proves that having considerable grades is essential for a student’s graduation rate, and a student with solely a high SAT score does not have a greater chance of graduation. All of this means that a student’s GPA is an essential tool that colleges completely ignore and replace with the SAT. To summarize, the SAT is not the best way to demonstrate a student’s preparedness for college, and fails to prove that it can judge a students future by itself.
Standardized tests such as the SAT and the ACT should be deserted by American colleges and universities due to the increase of schools fleeing the use of standardized tests. According to the article, “Harvard Extends Test-Optional Admissions Policy for Four Years,” the number of schools that have been going test optional, or not requiring theses tests at all rose 45% before the pandemic, to 80% after the pandemic (Hartocollis). This means that between the length of the pandemic there was a 35% increase in the number of schools that have dropped requirements on testing. Noticing that the schools who have ended their standardized testing requirements during the beginning of the pandemic have not gone back to test requirements, proves that there is definitely something wrong with the SAT and ACT. Additionally, the University of Chicago went test optional in 2018 before the COVID pandemic. Since then the school has reported higher diversity amongst their class because of their abandonment from the SAT and ACT (Hartocollis). To emphasize, students from all over America are choosing schools that are test-optional, or do not require standardized tests at all. If students are choosing schools that are test optional by themselves, it speaks to the multiple issues that derive from the use of standardized tests.
Standardized testing should be abandoned despite the fact that SAT scores can help foresee student success in college, because of the correlation of student graduation rates, and the number of colleges and universities that have ended requirements on standardized testing. High school GPA is a great substitute for standardized testing, considering the SAT is not a strong enough indicator to project a college student’s pivotal academic prosperity. Around the United States colleges and universities are jumping the SAT ship and swimming to shore. In the future, American colleges and universities should all relinquish the SAT’s role in school, and have high school GPA return in glory to evaluate students as it ought to.
Works Cited
Cooper, Preston. “Should Colleges Abandon SAT Score Requirements?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 10 Dec. 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/prestoncooper2/2020/02/07/should-colleges-abandon-sat-score-requirements/.
Hartocollis, Anemona. “Harvard Extends Test-Optional Admissions Policy for Four Years.” News, The New York Times , 20 Dec. 2021, https://news.world.edu/harvard-extends-test-optional-admissions-policy-for-four-years/.
Hubler, Shawn. “Why Is the SAT Falling out of Favor?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 May 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/us/SAT-ACT-abolish-debate-california.html.
Standardized testing has been a rising issue for years, especially in the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Before the pandemic and during the pandemic prominent colleges across the United States have been dumping the requirements on standardized tests. For instance, colleges like The University of California and The University of Chicago, all stepped away from the use of the SAT and ACT, some claiming the tests are not better indicators of student overall success than high school GPA. At the same time, others discuss the recent jump in prominent colleges leaving behind the SAT and ACT. Topics vary in this heated debate, but one concept is certain. Although SAT scores can help a little to predict student success in colleges, standardized testing should be abandoned because of the correlation of student graduation rates, and the number of colleges and universities that have ended requirements on standardized testing.
Even though some argue that SAT scores can better help predict student success in college, standardized tests should not be utilized by colleges. The opposition argues that the SAT can help better predict a student’s success in their first year of college. According to the article, “Why Is the SAT Falling Out of Favor?” Multiple studies have shown that grade point average, the SAT, ACT and other components, help predict student success in their first year of college (Hubler). The opposition believes that the SAT is a much better indicator of a student’s success in the future. Yet, those opposed must note that, according to that very same article, “Some studies have suggested that high school grades better measure a students likelihood of graduation and cumulative performance in college,” (Hubler). Clearly one can tell that the SAT is no longer the best way to measure a students academic success in college. This is logical because a student’s grades in high school have been tallied for years, and to judge someone’s academics based on one single test is bizarre. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to state that high school GPA is the best way to judge a student’s future in college.
Since there is a low correlation of student graduation rates, standardized tests should be reevaluated by colleges across the United States. According to the article, “Should Colleges Abandon SAT Score Requirements?” If a student takes the SAT or ACT and receives a high score, but has below par grades then that student only has a 51% of graduation (Cooper). To illustrate, if a student sits in a room to take the SAT for three hours, gets an appreciable score, but has poor grades surrounding them, they only have a 51% graduation rate. This is a combination of the SAT and high school GPA. On the other hand, less selective colleges and public schools are showing that a student with a high SAT score, and high grades surrounding them, has a 62% chance of graduation within six years (Cooper). This proves that having considerable grades is essential for a student’s graduation rate, and a student with solely a high SAT score does not have a greater chance of graduation. All of this means that a student’s GPA is an essential tool that colleges completely ignore and replace with the SAT. To summarize, the SAT is not the best way to demonstrate a student’s preparedness for college, and fails to prove that it can judge a students future by itself.
Standardized tests such as the SAT and the ACT should be deserted by American colleges and universities due to the increase of schools fleeing the use of standardized tests. According to the article, “Harvard Extends Test-Optional Admissions Policy for Four Years,” the number of schools that have been going test optional, or not requiring theses tests at all rose 45% before the pandemic, to 80% after the pandemic (Hartocollis). This means that between the length of the pandemic there was a 35% increase in the number of schools that have dropped requirements on testing. Noticing that the schools who have ended their standardized testing requirements during the beginning of the pandemic have not gone back to test requirements, proves that there is definitely something wrong with the SAT and ACT. Additionally, the University of Chicago went test optional in 2018 before the COVID pandemic. Since then the school has reported higher diversity amongst their class because of their abandonment from the SAT and ACT (Hartocollis). To emphasize, students from all over America are choosing schools that are test-optional, or do not require standardized tests at all. If students are choosing schools that are test optional by themselves, it speaks to the multiple issues that derive from the use of standardized tests.
Standardized testing should be abandoned despite the fact that SAT scores can help foresee student success in college, because of the correlation of student graduation rates, and the number of colleges and universities that have ended requirements on standardized testing. High school GPA is a great substitute for standardized testing, considering the SAT is not a strong enough indicator to project a college student’s pivotal academic prosperity. Around the United States colleges and universities are jumping the SAT ship and swimming to shore. In the future, American colleges and universities should all relinquish the SAT’s role in school, and have high school GPA return in glory to evaluate students as it ought to.
Works Cited
Cooper, Preston. “Should Colleges Abandon SAT Score Requirements?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 10 Dec. 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/prestoncooper2/2020/02/07/should-colleges-abandon-sat-score-requirements/.
Hartocollis, Anemona. “Harvard Extends Test-Optional Admissions Policy for Four Years.” News, The New York Times , 20 Dec. 2021, https://news.world.edu/harvard-extends-test-optional-admissions-policy-for-four-years/.
Hubler, Shawn. “Why Is the SAT Falling out of Favor?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 May 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/us/SAT-ACT-abolish-debate-california.html.