Wake Forest, Smith drop SAT condition

[ckramer]

Source: BG

Smith College, a women's college in Northampton, and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., will no longer require prospective students to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their applications. At both institutions, the policies will take effect with the class entering in fall 2009.

The number of colleges and universities where such tests are now optional, mostly small liberal arts colleges, has been growing steadily as 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.

Some schools that have made standardized tests optional have found that they have attracted a more diverse student body, with no decline in academic ability.

"By making the SAT and ACT optional, we hope to broaden the applicant pool and increase access at Wake Forest for groups of students who are currently underrepresented at selective universities," said Martha Allman, Wake Forest's director of admissions.

While students will still have the option of submitting standardized test scores - and, in fact, the majority of applicants still do so at many test-optional colleges - the most important criteria for admission will be high school curriculum and classroom performance, writing ability, extracurricular activities, and evidence of character and talent.



Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2008/05/27/wake_forest_smith_drop_sat_condition/

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Will all the elite schools do that?

[sasquatch]

1. Will everybody go back to their own individual entrance exams?

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. I think not

From the OP: "... the most important criteria for admission will be high school curriculum and classroom performance, writing ability, extracurricular activities, and evidence of character and talent."

I'm guessing that this is a trend away from standardized testing and not one of replacing one standardized test with another.

[YDogg]

5. I was talking with a high school junior recently ...

... and he was lamenting his poor performance on the SAT, and how that would affect his ability to compete for academic scholarships. I believe he took the test when he was in tenth grade, and I suggested that it might be worthwhile to take it again at the end of his twelfth grade year. His only reaction was that the test costs $70 to take. I had no good suggestions for him. The point I was hoping to make was that it was worthwhile to spend that money if the potential return in scholarships exceeds that amount, but he could not see past the upfront costs of the test. The testing services sure seem to rake in the bucks.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Don't tell me, let me guess. The new criteria will be gross annual income.

[Zorra]

4. Ding-Ding. I do believe we have a winner. n/t

[rosesaylavee]

8. My son just went thru this process this last year

so the process is pretty fresh in my mind. Schools - top schools - try to get a diverse population based on race, income, region or state, gender, volunteer and community involvement as well as actual scholarship aptitude in the field of study they are most likely to pursue.

We live in the great flyover, reside in the not-so-hot income territory and our son is going to one of the top east coast schools in his field of study with a great scholarship. Two of the schools he applied to would have accepted him except for his less than stellar SAT/ACT scores. Not sure that they truly measured his ability as he does not test well... has worked to improve that but his test anxiety goes off the chart. They do not measure personal initiative for one thing. He is an overachiever as far as his career interests go - has gone out for every opportunity to get more exposure to what he is wants to do with his life.

The SAT/ACT were far too weighted in past decision making imo.

[Guaranteed]

6. Yup, everyone hates a smart guy. nt

[Posteritatis]

7. The lack of academic impact is interesting

I'm not surprised by it in the least - up here I've never had to take a standardized test to apply to school and am finishing up a master's degree - but it's nice to see that sort of thing confirmed. I've never gotten the point of those things anyway, short of some silly everything-must-be-measured-exactly attitude towards education.

"Evidence of character and talent" is an interesting req too; I do wonder how that one's determined.