How Important are Standardized Tests?
Standardized tests have grown in importance over the last 10 to 15 years, and, as a result, many students feel pressured to do well on these tests. The two standardized tests involved in the college admissions process are the SAT, administered by the College Board, and the ACT, administered by the American College Testing program. The original value of these exams was to be able to predict a student’s first-year college grades. After extensive studies, it appears that there may be some gender, cultural, and economic biases inherent in both tests, which is one of the reasons why testing is a controversial topic.
Unfortunately, I have seen students with high averages, great essays, and outstanding extracurricular activities turned away by the college of their choice because of disappointing test scores. Parents, also disappointed by their child’s test scores, naively ask whether the colleges can overlook this one area and optimistically hope that high grades, a great essay, or extracurricular activities can outweigh lower test scores. Colleges that practice holistic admissions policies may weigh other factors in addition to testing scores. There is a growing wave of concern over how heavily these scores are being used and in what ways these scores are being used. For very selective schools (with some exceptions), standardized test scores continue to be among the top factors used for admission purposes.
Standardized test scores, in addition to being a factor in the admissions process, are also used for evaluation for scholarship purposes, including individual state scholarship programs.
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