Standardized Testing Comes Up Smiling: Mandates Are Being Reinstated for Some Colleges
We all probably remember exactly where we were and what we had been doing prior to learning that the all-consuming pandemic put a major pause on standardized testing. A sharp intake of breath followed by the realization that life, as we’d known it, was changing rapidly.
Now, the concept of test-optional was not exactly a new one for those of us who have been in test-prep for a bit. Many of us know that schools began weighing the pros and cons of a standardized test mandate back in 1969 with Bowdoin College. And, over the many years (decades) since, other schools have had to make their own decisions about the role that standardized testing has played in their admissions (more on that in our past “Will the Test-Optional ‘Trend’ Catch on?” post).
However, once the pandemic began, testing and education in general faced a colossal, unprecedented situation. It only made sense for schools to close, students to learn from the safety of their own homes, and for colleges to call a time-out on testing mandates for admission.
After two years of constantly shifting gears, testing mandates are still changing as we all transition into this new “normal.”
Which leads us to the newest shift, sparked by the elite Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which has declared a reversal on its previous (pandemic-related) test-optional stance and has reinstated its SAT®/ACT® mandate for future admissions cycles.
Why would schools reverse their test-optional, test-flexible, test-blind policies?
To better understand why any schools would choose to reverse their standardized testing policies, let’s unpack why MIT, in particular, chose to do so.
MIT’s backbone is math and science—two subject areas in which testing allows qualified students to demonstrate their abilities. A prospective engineering student, for example, must exhibit a fixed level of competence in order to be considered a good fit for the institution’s rigor, and the ACT®/SAT® can do just that.
In explaining how they came to their reversal decision, MIT states,
“We are reinstating our requirement, rather than adopting a more flexible policy, to be transparent and equitable in our expectations. Our concern is that, without compelling clarity of a requirement, some well-prepared applicants won’t take the tests, and we won’t have enough information to be confident in their academic readiness when they apply. We believe that it will be more equitable if we require all applicants who take the tests to disclose their scores.”
Stuart Schmill, MIT’s dean of admissions and student financial services expanded on this with the statement,
“In short: Our research has shown that, in most cases, we cannot reliably predict students will do well at MIT unless we consider standardized test results alongside grades, coursework, and other factors… It turns out the shortest path for many students to demonstrate sufficient preparation—particularly for students with less access to education capital—is through the SAT/ACT, because most students can study for these exams using free tools … but they (usually) can’t force their high school to offer advanced calculus courses, for example. So, the SAT/ACT can actually open the door to MIT for these students, too.”
Further confirming MIT’s claim, Priscilla Rodriguez, VP of College Readiness Assessments at College Board noted,
“In the class of 2020, nearly 1.7 million U.S. students had SAT® scores that confirmed or exceeded their high school GPA. That means that their SAT® scores were a point of strength on their college applications.”
And before the quick retort of “What about leveling the playing field? What about how standardized testing isn’t fair for students with lower socioeconomic statuses?,” Rodriguez was quick to note:
“Among those students, more than 3000,000 were from small towns and rural communities; 600,000 were first-generation college goers; and 700,000 were Black or Latino.”
Now, at this point, many people are thinking, “Okay, this reversal makes sense for math- and science-focused schools, but why would any other colleges choose to reverse their standardized testing policies? There are several key reasons:
Grade Inflation
What started as an early-pandemic problem has unfortunately continued over the last two years. Even some colleges have taken advantage of the situation (Cough! Cough! Harvard! Sorry, tickle in my throat.) and have chosen to incentivize grade inflation through their admissions practices.
Students across the US have been receiving higher-than-average grades and boosted GPAs, but studies have found that students are performing far below what their otherwise high grades and GPAs would have us believe.
For instance, in their most recent study, the NAEP (also known as the nation’s report card) published the following findings for students in 12th grade:
Only 24% of students performed at or above NAEP Proficient in Mathematics
Only 37% of students performed at or above NAEP Proficient in Reading
Only 22% of students performed at or above NAEP Proficient in Science
Only 27% of students performed at or above NAEP Proficient in Writing
These results beg the question: how can students manage to receive such high grades and GPAs when they’re so clearly lacking the ability to perform these acquired skills when tested? Grade inflation.
Without the standardized testing to accurately assess students’ aptitudes, high schools are able to inflate grades, embellish college resumes, and manipulate rankings to help their students get into college.
The ACT® and SAT® are reliable standardized tests that provide colleges with an accurate overview of how students perform in those subject areas compared to their peers.
In the Forbes article, “High School Grade Inflation Is A Problem. Getting Rid Of The SAT Would Make It Worse,” Senior Contributor Frederick Hess notes,
This is why admissions tests like the SAT and ACT are so invaluable: they offer an independent snapshot of college readiness and academic achievement. Without admissions tests that put grades in context, colleges can have a harder time keeping track of which [high] schools hand out high grades and play transcript games in order to help their students get into college. Tests like the SAT and ACT can help level the playing field by providing a check on such machinations.”
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: standardized tests provide a controlled metric; a benchmark of importance and value when other measures—such as grades and GPAs—are less reliable.
Record Levels for Applications
Flexible, optional, and blind testing policies have allowed for students to apply to as many schools as they want, literally flooding the college application pools. Without testing requirements, it doesn’t matter if a students are applying to their match, reach, or way-out-of-their-league schools, it’s nearly impossible to stand out from the crowd. Yet another reason why schools may want to reinstate their standardized testing policies.
Every data point matters
Admissions are being inundated by applications with very little time to fully assess whether each and every applicant would academically fit their school. When it comes to admissions, every data point in admissions counts. Likewise, every single point on a college entrance test matters as well. Having test scores as quick metrics to efficiently and accurately evaluate applicants can only help schools make the right and fair decisions for admissions, scholarships, and financial aid support.
What This Shift in Standardized Testing Policies Means for Students and Test Prep
MIT’s standardized testing policy reversal in addition to the continuation of grade inflation and high records of college applications mean that students need to be taking the ACT® and SAT® seriously. They need to start their test prep early with their sights set on a bullseye score that will give them the attention they deserve on their college applications. MIT may be an anomaly or MIT may just spark a new test-policy reversal wave; either way, students should make their own testing policy “test optimal,” and show their choice college(s) what an incredible asset they would be to the incoming class.
For more on how the ever-changing policies and evolution of standardized testing continue to impact your students and your test-prep business, be sure to subscribe to our blog and never miss another update!