Some Colleges Not Requiring SAT/ACT Scores

BY DAVID DEACON

The juniors and seniors that are worried about getting the perfect SAT score can take a slight sigh of relief. There are an increasing number of colleges and universities across the country that don’t require SAT or ACT scores. Instead, these colleges evaluate students based on other factors such as rigor of high school coursework and extracurricular activities.

There are approximately 850 colleges that don’t look at SAT and ACT scores. Instead of making admissions decisions based on one single test score, these colleges look more specifically at other factors, such as AP courses and IB courses, which provide more of a challenge to the average high school student. They also look at the rigor of school courses, looking to see whether or not the student has challenged himself or herself. Most colleges that don’t look at SAT and ACT scores aren’t top colleges. However, top universities such as Wake Forest and NYU are following this trend. Under NYU’s new policy, students applying will have the option to submit the subject tests or AP scores in replacement of SAT scores.

“At heart, [the change] is about giving students more choice in how they present themselves and about acknowledging the importance of subject mastery,” NYU spokesperson John Beckman said.

The SAT and ACT were originally created so there would be a universal, standardized test to equally evaluate all students. However, colleges might be taking a step in the wrong direction by disregarding these universal test scores. In most cases, by looking at student’s scores around the country, colleges can accept their ideal students, the ones who score highly in comparison to other students on the SAT and ACT.

On the contrary, colleges do have a legitimate reason not to look at standardized test scores. Some colleges might value the generalization of a whole academic carrier versus just one test. Instead of one test, the colleges that don’t look at SAT/ACT scores look at the courses that the student takes. There are certain factors of human error that colleges have taken into account. For one, the pressure of taking one test that basically determines your future can lead to test anxiety. There’s also the factor of financial aid. Some families can’t afford to pay for private tutoring and practice to be able to learn how to master the test. Also, the US currently ranks number 31 in the world when it comes to education. One way to make our rank go up is to increase education; to do this is to expand on college acceptance. Colleges that don’t look at standardized test scores can potentially increase their enrollment by eliminating one of the barriers that deters students from getting into college.

“The SAT test shouldn’t be relied on as the only factor for students to get into a college,” guidance counselor Roslyn Wagner said. “One test doesn’t shouldn’t determine how hardworking a student is.”