Colleges Want More Than Test Scores

Wake Forest University and Smith College recently announced that they'll stop using SAT and ACT scores to determine the academic qualifications of prospective applicants.

The schools are joining a number of institutions that have recognized their dependency on standardized tests in the selection process. According to the New York Times, colleges and universities across the country began making standardized tests optional for applicants after acknowledging the various demographic factors that can negatively influence test scores.

“More institutions have become concerned about the validity of standardized tests in predicting academic success, and the degree to which test performance correlates with household income, parental education and race,” reporter Tamar Lewin writes.

According to the story, colleges are replacing the test requirement with a more in-depth look at an applicant’s high school curriculum and academic performance in addition to positive characteristics the applicant may have, such as talent and involvement in activities.

By making standardized tests optional, schools are succeeding in two ways: first, they are accepting more applicants from different socioeconomic levels and racial backgrounds and secondly, colleges are helping to close the opportunity gap between rich and poor students.

Could the decision to stop standardized testing in the college selection process encourage more education reform in the country? Specifically, is it possible that this can lead to an end of the No Child Left Behind Act altogether? Post your comments below.

--Jazzy Wright