Standardized Testing

Every year more than one million high school seniors take the SAT and ACT in hopes of scoring high enough to get into the college of their choice. This is not always possible, even for the smartest students and the best test takers. The SAT and ACT are used as an estimate of how a student will do in his or her first year of college, not the rest of their college career. Several studies …

…Press book, The Case Against the SAT, found that the SAT is "statistically irrelevant" in college admissions. It also proves that the SAT undermines the goal of diversity by reducing the number of qualified minority and lower-income students who are admitted. The rapid growth of test scores optional programs shows that no type of college needs to require the SAT or ACT. The list now includes large state schools, and many nationally competitive smaller schools.