College Corner: Are test scores really optional?
There are a lot of reversals — complete 180s — in decisions that we anticipate: Tom Brady announcing his retirement and then un-announcing it. And then announcing it again. And then ... well, we know that story.
But the reversal that many did not see coming was the announcement this month by the University of Texas that it was going to require college entrance exam test scores again in its decision-making process. Yes, the SAT and ACT are alive and well.
The history
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most universities around the country went to a test-optional application practice. The reasoning given was that test administration was unsafe and impractical. There were no systems in place to ensure the health and safety of the thousands of youths who would be taking the tests.
This was very real and practical reasoning, and further helped to avoid the other argument against test requirement that had been bothering academia for several years: the tests, both the SAT and ACT, were not really indicative of anything that was relevant to success in college or life. They were more an indicator of wealth, culture and test-taking abilities. The obvious racial and socio-economic arguments in these points were so sensitive that the tests were being maligned on all fronts.
In support of this assertion was the ability of parents with money to send their students to tutoring and test prep classes, raising their children’s test scores significantly enough to take the lower-income students out of competition, regardless of their grades and other successes.
The present
At the time, very few universities did not make the tests optional. The admissions data from those schools compared to the data from colleges that did go optional supposedly revealed that students who took the tests and then opted in were far more successful than those that either did not take the tests or did not opt in.
As was expected, students who opted in had higher test scores. The question then became: was it possible for the admissions representatives to ignore the higher test scores and leave the acceptance to all the other factors alone, such as GPA, extra-curricular activities and admissions essays?
In a perfect world, yes. But as we all know, the world is not perfect, and the representatives considered the optional test scores anyway.
What they claimed was that those with higher scores also had higher GPAs and other indicators of academic success.
Even without those indicators, the students also were more successful in their studies in college.
Wait. How could they reach that conclusion with only one or two years of accepted students who have completed at least a year of college? Not really a statistically sound sample to many.
The reality
While parents may wish that UT revert to the completely test-optional admission process, that does not seem to be a possibility. (They are not Tom Brady.) The test scores will be required for all applicants during 2024 requesting admission in fall 2025.
What is more likely is that more schools will either reverse the test-optional policy or come clean on their actual consideration of test scores from students who opt in.
UT has tried to assuage the concerns of parents by offering other “compromises.”
Since UT has always had a policy of guaranteed acceptance for certain Texas residents with higher GPAs, they will start to use the SAT and ACT test scores to match students to their ideal majors and courses of study.
Applicants will have more options for the essay subject and fewer short answer questions.
The scope of acceptable letters of recommendation will also be narrowed to those who know the applicant outside of the high school environment,
Finally, and perhaps most desirable, UT will have an early action program — an optional deadline of Oct. 15, with a guaranteed decision by Jan. 15. The regular application deadline will still be Dec. 1, with a decision by Feb. 15. This gives the ability to apply to other schools if the student was counting on admission to UT.
The bottom line
While all parents may wish that their student did not have to think about the SATs or ACTs — the students themselves certainly do — the bottom line is that universities look at the students who opt in more seriously than those who opt out.
Our students need to take the tests and submit the results.
Dale Price is the owner of Access College America, a leading college admissions planning agency in Austin. Learn more by visiting AccessCollegeAmerica.org.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: College Corner: Are test scores really optional?
