Say Good-bye to the SAT?
According to the New York Times, one-fourth of U.S. News & World Report's Top 100 small liberal arts colleges have made entrance exams, such as the SAT, an optional choice for perspective students. Liberal arts colleges have found that there is an increase in the size and diversity of the incoming students. With no required admission exam, students from low-income families and students from non-English speaking families have equal opportunity to receive higher education, as opposed to students from wealthier families who can afford extensive tutoring prior to the exam. The optional exams also represent the commitment of liberal arts colleges to consider each student based on the potential of everyone regardless of the results of these tests. Therefore, the reputation of small colleges increases, because of the willingness to evaluate the whole person instead of one element of a student's ability.
As admitted college students, we were, at one point, compared to other perspective students for admission. Were we admitted or not admitted to a particular school based on defined test scores or on the quality of our academic/extra curricular activities? Is this a positive or normative analysis? Do the SAT and other admission exams represent the quality of a student? And if there were no entrance exams, how would admission counselors' evaluate the potential success of two students? What are small liberal arts colleges giving up when they make admission exams an option?
3 comments:
As a matter of fact, examination as a measurement for students' study truly has its advantage. It can quantitate the result of study and promote us to learn more and so forth. However, if just making decision of a student's ability and success only by an examination, it is obviously unfair. Therefore, we have face-to-face or telephone interviews to make further evaluation, and I think it's really a good way to support the whole decision. In china, many undergraduates want to go abroad to continue their study, but before that, we all know non-English-speaking countries’ student must take TOEFL and GRE, the registration fee of which are comparatively expensive to us. Then, I think if we take other alternative ways to evaluate students’ ability or reduce the fee, more people will have the same opportunity as those who can easily pay for the fee.
I think the SATs are one measure of a student ability. When applying to a liberal arts school, more than just your SAT scores should be looked at. There should be a number or things that play in the the acceptance decision. Test scores may not be accurate, but other papers, transcripts, evidence, etc. should be able to be sumbitted with an application as a sort of compensation for a lower test score. One reason given for making testing scores optional were that those with money to afford tutoring and help on scoring well on their test will have an advantage over other less well off students. However, any way admission are done, those with the money and resources will always find a way to benefit and be above the poorer students. When applying to colleges you would be limiting yourself to only apply to test-optional schools. There may be an even better option out there if you'd submit your test scores to those schools that require them. Exams may never be fair evaluations, but even as you continue through college tests and exams are part of your schooling.
So many factors play into the success of students. For those of us who can look back and remember that SAT test day, we also remember the added stress that went along with it. I know from personal experience that test anxiety is at a high on that day. However, I do believe one way to overcome that is to keep on testing. I do believe the tests are necessary in the admission factor, however, they should not be THE deciding factor. By making the test an option, I think it shows a student is more willing, or more able to put themselves out there. The same applies to an interview, or anything else in real life. The more information you can present, the more foundation you lay. Other qualities such as activities, interests and high school transcript should be taken into consideration just as much as always. When you put college into perspective, its really a concentrated study of interest. With that said, who is to say that a student will not excel in their specialized area by judging them on the few areas of the SAT.
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