While the Covid-19 pandemic was at its worst, many institutions changed their admissions policies to test-optional or test-free to accommodate students. Applicants in about 1,835 US colleges and universities will now be evaluated on the basis of submitted interest letters, essays, and interviews. Even though the threat from the pandemic has subsided, the change in policy seems to have become the norm and might be here to stay.
According to a survey conducted by the National Centre for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest) in the United States, 80% of universities that offer bachelor's degrees will not make it mandatory for students to submit ACT or SAT standardized test scores for admission in the fall of 2023.
Let’s decipher why universities are pausing or ending the use of standardized admission tests and how it will impact Indians willing to study in US universities.
What is STANDARDIZED TESTINg?
Standardized testing refers to a form of assessment where all test-takers answer the same set of questions under standardized conditions. Standardized tests can cover a range of subjects, including math, reading, writing, and science, and can be administered in different formats, such as multiple-choice, short answer, or essay. The results of these tests are often used for important decisions, such as college admissions, scholarships, or grade promotions. They are intended to provide a common measure for comparing the abilities of students who come from a variety of educational backgrounds and institutions.
The two most commonly taken standardized tests are the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Testing Assessment (ACT).
SAT, or the Scholastic Assessment Test, is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. It measures your readiness for college by testing your knowledge of reading, writing, and math. It consists of multiple-choice questions and an optional essay section. The test is scored on a scale of 400 to 1600.
ACT, or the American College Test, is another standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. It measures a student's readiness for college by testing their knowledge in English, math, reading, and science. The ACT also includes an optional writing section. The test is scored on a scale of 1 to 36.
What is Test-Optional vs Test-Blind?
Test-optional and test-blind policies are two approaches that colleges and universities use in the admissions process.
Test optional means that applicants are not required to submit standardized test scores such as the SAT or ACT, but they have the option to if they choose. This policy has become more popular in recent years with many colleges recognizing that standardized tests may not fully represent a student's abilities or potential. Test-optional policies aim to provide greater equity in the admissions process and allow students to showcase their strengths in other areas such as grades, extracurricular activities, essays, and recommendations.
Test-blind policies take this approach further by completely removing standardized test scores from consideration in the admissions process. It means that colleges do not consider standardized test scores at all in their admissions decisions. Even perfect scores of 1600 on the SAT or 36 on the ACT will not give an applicant any admissions advantage.
Test-optional and test-blind colleges give greater weight to alternative measures of academic accomplishment than standardized tests, such as GPA, course difficulty, and class rank. Additionally, because of their more all-encompassing approach to admissions, they place a greater value on candidates' extracurricular activities and essays.
Why Did Universities Become Test-Optional?
While the Covid-19 pandemic was at its worst, many institutions changed their admissions policies to test-optional ones to accommodate applicants. The pandemic disrupted many students' ability to take the SAT or ACT. Test cancellations and closures of test centers led many universities to make test scores optional for the 2021 and 2022 admissions cycles, and some have continued the policy beyond that.
Why are Universities Dropping SATs as a Criteria?
According to some academics and experts, the SAT is not a suitable method for evaluating a student's intellectual abilities. They argue that there have been cases where students with exceptional academic performance have scored poorly on the SAT due to non-academic factors.
FairTest Executive Director Harry Feder (in the organization’s news release) said, “These schools recognize that standardized test scores do not measure academic ‘merit.’ What they do assess quite accurately is family wealth, but that should not be the criteria for getting into college.”
Announcing the decision to make SATs optional for admission, Columbia University informed that it has taken up this step to provide the possible opportunity and flexibility for students to represent themselves fully and showcase their academic talents, interests, and goals.
Another reason leading to the drop of SAT as an eligibility criterion could be the growing opinion that standardized tests like the SAT and ACT may not best predict a student’s academic success in college. Some critics argue that the tests are biased against certain groups of students, such as those from low-income families, non-native English speakers, and students of color, who may have less access to test preparation resources or may not be as familiar with the test-taking process.
There is a growing movement among universities to evaluate students based on a more holistic set of criteria that takes into account factors such as community service, leadership, and extracurricular activities, in addition to academic performance and test scores. This approach aims to create a more diverse and inclusive student body and recognize the achievements and talents of students who may not excel on standardized tests.
Impact on Indian Students
With the elimination of SAT eligibility requirements for admission, US universities will now place more emphasis on high school grades, extracurricular activities, and personal essays when evaluating applicants. This could benefit Indian students who may not have had access to resources for preparing for standardized tests like the SAT, or who may have experienced difficulties with the language used in these tests.
Indian students may find it advantageous that US universities will be giving greater weight to a student's complete profile, which includes their extracurricular activities and personal essays. This allows Indian students to highlight their unique talents, abilities, and experiences, and distinguish themselves in a highly competitive admissions process.
However, the decision to drop the SAT eligibility criteria for admissions may also have some negative impacts on Indian students. Without the SAT as a standardized measure of academic ability, US universities may place greater emphasis on a student's high school grades, which could be challenging for Indian students who have faced disruptions to their education due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“SAT scores are important for Indian students as US universities are not familiar with Indian education and grading system. Hence, these scores help students to showcase their capabilities. I would recommend Indian students to go for SATs even if it’s optional for a better chance to get admission to US colleges and universities,” says Roomi Bajaj, founder of Crescent Education.
For Indian students, who have historically placed a great lot of importance on standardized test scores as a way to demonstrate their academic abilities, the transition toward test-optional regulations could provide difficulties. It may also mean other testing options like the APs, and A-Levels would gain more popularity and Indian students might consider taking those to demonstrate their academic abilities.
While this may be a positive development for some Indian students, it may also present challenges for others. As with any change in the college admission process, it’s important for Indian students to carefully consider their options and to seek guidance from college counselors.
Sources
Saroha, Sakshi. "80% US Universities Drop Sat Eligibility Criteria for Admissions; How Will It Impact Indian Students?" The Indian Express. 27 Mar. 2023. Web. 20 Apr. 2023.
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