Should the SAT still matter after all these years? Why some colleges are bringing it back | CNN
For generations, the SAT has been a daunting rite of passage for American students, a high-stakes exam that seems to hold the keys to their academic futures. Developed in the 1920s, the SAT has weathered decades of controversy over its biases and role in college admissions. The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a glimmer of hope for change when prestigious universities temporarily suspended their testing requirements. However, many institutions have reverted to requiring the SAT for the 2025 admissions cycle.
The debate over the SAT’s necessity has reignited, with critics pointing to its roots in racism and classism. Despite claims from the College Board that the exam measures learned content rather than innate aptitude, questions persist about its fairness and effectiveness. The reliance on high SAT scores has fueled a lucrative test prep industry and raised concerns about access and equity in education.
While some argue that standardized tests like the SAT are necessary for comparing students across diverse educational backgrounds, others contend that they exacerbate existing inequalities. Eliminating the SAT as an admissions factor may not address systemic inequity but could instead highlight disparities in access to resources and opportunities…………
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Rising Dough
As colleges grapple with admissions policies in the wake of the pandemic, the question remains: What is the best way to assess student readiness for higher education while promoting fairness and equity? How can colleges balance the need for standardized assessment with the imperative to promote equity and inclusion in the admissions process?
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To promote fairness and equity in admissions, colleges can consider a combination of factors like GPA, extracurriculars, essays, and recommendations alongside standardized tests. Implementing test-optional policies can also help achieve greater equity in the admissions process.
To promote fairness, colleges should take into account on what students are majoring in to see if whether those skills that are utilized in the standardized tests are necessary for succeeding in the fields students are aiming for. However, to balance it out, their thresholds would be smaller, but not too small to the point where it doesn’t require effort.
I thin that the way to bring equality into colleges by including SAT scores along with other assessments and GPA. Having more than just the SAT is important because not all students are good at testing taking and the ones that aren’t may actually perform better in the field than the ones that are.