Over the past few years, the number of colleges using test-optional admissions policies has skyrocketed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges made test scores optional on their applications for the first time in order to accommodate the circumstances. For many universities, these temporary measures gradually became permanent test-optional policies for all applicants. According to an article from Forbes, between the spring and fall of 2023, the number of universities with test-optional policies grew by 1900 schools. The number of test-mandatory colleges has continued to dwindle in the wake of the pandemic, but this shift may not necessarily be a good thing. Test-mandatory colleges like Georgetown, MIT, and Georgia Tech have all made the right decision by requiring standardized testing in their application process, and more colleges should follow their example.
Firstly, universities act like businesses: in their own interest, not the students’. Even with overall student debt in America passing a trillion dollars, colleges continue to charge steep tuition alongside the extensive donations many receive. Colleges do not have students’ best interests at heart when they go test-optional. Going test-optional drives up application numbers, making universities’ acceptance rates appear more selective, and thus increasing their prestige and rankings. For example, many university acceptance rates have dropped since 2020, a change that can be attributed to test-optional policies.
Although other factors are certainly important, academic merit should be the leading factor in college admissions, and test scores can be useful indicators.
Additionally, “test-optional” is a vague and misleading term. College admissions officers have been trained to efficiently assess academic merit and are accustomed to placing a particular emphasis on test scores. When an application is received without test scores, admissions officers may assume that the student received below-average scores, which hurts their application regardless of the student’s intention or actual performance. As a result, students who submit their test scores have an advantage over those who do not, making the system no more equitable than it was previously.
Furthermore, colleges are rigorous academic institutions and incoming students need to be able to handle their college-level studies. Test scores allow colleges to assess applicants’ capacity to perform well in their courses, enabling them to make a more informed decision. Although test scores do not necessarily determine students’ performance in college, they provide admissions officers with a necessary basis for understanding the kind of student you are. If students are accepted to a test-optional college due to their impressive extracurriculars or grade point average, that does not necessarily mean they can handle college-level assessments. Although other factors are certainly important, academic merit should be the leading factor in college admissions, and test scores can be useful indicators.
Lastly, with more colleges going test-optional, students who are apprehensive about how they will perform on the SAT or ACT may feel that it is a waste of time to prepare when they could be investing more time into strengthening their application in other ways. This puts even more pressure on students to invest their time into internships, service or sports, rather than simply taking an exam and having more freedom with their remaining time. Test-optional policies may also cause unneeded stress and anxiety as students and their families consider whether or not to submit scores.
In conclusion, the college admissions process is already highly competitive and stressful, and test-optional admissions add to rather than aid the existing issue. All colleges should go test-mandatory, as it would simplify the admissions process and give students a clear objective as they prepare.
