Harvard study says SATs should be optional. Here's why.
Standardized testing should be optional in college admissions, recommends a new report released Wednesday.
High school students may have one less thing to worry about during the stressful college application process. Standardized testing should be optional, or at least de-emphasized, in college admissions, according to recommendations from a new report released Wednesday.
The report, sponsored by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and endorsed by more than 80 colleges and universities, proposes sweeping changes in the applications process designed to de-emphasize personal achievement, and instead highlight community involvement and care for others.
The goal of the proposed guidelines is to make applications less about grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, thereby opening opportunities to a broader group of students.
“Yes, we want students who have achieved in and out of the classroom, but we are also looking for things that are harder to quantify, [like] authentic intellectual engagement and a concern for others and the common good,” Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions at Yale University and one of the report’s endorsers, told The Washington Post.
Among the changes suggested by the report, entitled "Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good Through College Admissions":
- Emphasize quality over quantity with extracurricular activities and advanced placement classes
- Factor in family and community responsibilities to capture the contributions of low-income and working-class students
- Challenge the misconception that there are only a handful of excellent colleges
Perhaps biggest change the report recommends is making standardized tests like the SAT and ACT optional, or at least less important, in the admissions process.
"I do believe that most students stress out over their SAT scores much more than they need to," Stu Schmill, the dean of admissions at MIT, and a report endorser, told NBC's "Today" show.
"I think our students are just doing too much,'' he added. "They feel like they have to do too much, and they really don't. We want to send this message that they can pull back on that a little bit."
In fact, going test-optional has become an increasingly popular move in higher education. More than 850 four-year colleges and universities have test-optional policies, according to FairTest, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing. For many, it's a move to level the playing field and broaden diversity in the student body.
Some minority groups, including African-American and Latino students, have struggled with the SAT, according to test score data from the College Board. There's also a stark correlation between family income and test Harvard study says SATs should be optional. Here's why. - CSMonitor.com:
