Yale has become the latest in a small but growing list of schools reversing test optional policies in the admissions process. Yale stated on their website “After four years with a test-optional policy that allowed applicants to decide whether or not to submit test scores, Yale will resume requiring scores of all applicants. But it will expand the list of tests that fulfill the requirement to include AP and IB exams in addition to the SAT and ACT.” Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid cites “Test scores are not the core of our review process, but they are useful, and they can help applicants, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
When Standardized Testing Began
The history of standardized testing and its role in college admissions in the United States is marked by periods of change and adaptation. The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) debuted in 1926, introduced by the College Board as a measure of a student's readiness for college.
It quickly gained popularity and by 1935, prominent institutions like Harvard University required all applicants to submit SAT scores. Many Ivy League institutions followed suit, solidifying the test's significance in the admissions process.
The ACT (American College Testing) exam was developed about three decades later, in 1959, as a competitor to the SAT. The ACT eventually became a popular college admission test alternative, leading to a continued rivalry between the two.
Questioning the Usefulness of Standardized Tests
However, over time, concerns arose about the fairness and validity of these tests. Critics argued that they were biased towards certain demographic groups and did not accurately predict a student's potential for success in college. These concerns led to the start of the test-optional movement.
While it's hard to pin down the exact date when colleges began to adopt test-optional policies, it gained momentum in the early 21st century after a study at the University of California concluded high school grades were more indicative of college performance. Another study at Bates College determined that a student’s decision to submit or not submit test scores did not make them any more or less likely to graduate.
The College Board responded to this trend in 2005 by redesigning the SAT and eliminating sections like word analogies.
According to Inside Higher Ed, more than 80 percent of U.S. colleges and universities do not require applicants to take standardized tests like the SAT or the ACT. However, some colleges still require students to send their entire test history, while others only want current scores.
Turning Course Back to Required Tests
Yale has joined schools like MIT, Dartmouth and Georgetown in requiring test scores in the admissions process. It’s hard to say if this is the beginning of a trend for schools to begin reinstating testing requirements in the application process or not. The decision could be due to a variety of reasons, including the desire to maintain academic rigor, to provide a uniform benchmark for comparing applicants, or to respond to criticisms that high school grades and extracurricular activities can be subjective or inconsistent. Or to Dean Quinlan’s point, will requiring test scores help students from disadvantaged backgrounds who might now suffer due the Supreme Court ruling regarding race in admissions. It’s hard to say.
The ”Test Optional” Conundrum
The testing requirement is pretty straightforward for some schools, if you have to, you submit or if you don’t, there’s no need to worry about it because the school has decided to take a blind eye to test scores. However, with college admissions becoming quite competitive and some schools accepting less than 10% of applications, students are left to wonder for those majority of schools that are test optional, if submitting or not submitting a score will help or hurt their chances.
The unnecessary stress caused by questioning if your score is high enough that you should submit or if less will be thought of you if you don’t submit can weigh on student. Parent’s and students are already struggling with how best to game the application process with decisions to make like where to ED (early decision) - you only get to choose one school for this, or where to apply to ensure there’s a spot for you somewhere but also one that you’ll be happy with and how to craft that stand-out essay. It’s a lot for a young adult to contend with, given many believe these decisions will have a profound impact on their future.
Most schools seem to be happy to confer the test submission decision onto the student but it does appear that some (if even a growing few) are ready to commit to a decision to require a score (either SAT or ACT or be flexible regarding which score they receive) or not require one at all and remain blind. So, for the meantime, it looks as if test scores will remain optional for the most part.