For high school students across America the thought of taking the SAT exam is terrifying. Many feel that the score they receive on the SAT will decide the college that they will enroll in, and subsequently will determine the course of the rest of their lives. One high school student said, “The fact that the exam dictates my entire academic future is overwhelming.”
However, colleges across the country are starting to waive SAT requirements for their schools. Recently, George Washington University, a prestigious school in Washington D.C., became the newest member of a growing list of colleges and universities that are “testing optional schools.” Karen Stroud Felton, dean of Admissions at GWU, told the Washington Post “We want outstanding students from all over the world and from all different backgrounds – regardless of their standardized scores – to recognize GW as a place where they can thrive.”
The fact that such a prestigious school has become testing optional begs the question: should Baruch follow the growing trend and waive its testing requirements?
Currently, tests scores play a crucial part in the admissions process at Baruch. Baruch’s undergrad admissions webpage proudly displays the college’s high SAT scores. Half of all undergrad students at Baruch have scores between 1140 and 1300 in a country in which the average SAT score is around 1000.
Many believe that students’ high school GPA (grade point average) should be considered equally with their SAT scores. Testing optional colleges argue that a student’s high school GPA is a better indication of how a student will do in college than test scores. One dean of admissions told the Washington Post, “We find much more value in a student’s accomplishments in four years of high school than in four hours of Saturday testing.”
Along with the college’s high test scores, Baruch also boasts a solid high school GPA. Next to its SAT scores the Baruch’s undergrad admission webpage displays an average 3.3 High School GPA (roughly a B+). One Baruch student said, “I guess my SAT scores have reflected my success at college. But I also think that my GPA has played a role.”
Despite testing’s numerous critics, many still feel that exams are the most accurate indication of a how well a student will do in college. Exams, like IQ tests, are designed to measure a students intelligence based off content that they should have learned in high school. On its website the College Board, the company that administers the SAT, says, “The SAT and SAT Subject Tests are designed to assess your academic readiness for college. These exams provide a path to opportunities, financial support, and scholarships, in a way that’s fair to all students. The SAT and SAT Subject Tests keep pace with what colleges are looking for today, measuring the skills required for success in the 21st century.”
Unlike GPA, which can change depending on a high school’s competitiveness, exams are nationally standardized, which allows colleges to accurately pit students against each other. For many, the fact that exams are nationally standardized demonstrates the importance of them for college applicants. One Baruch student said, “I think that the SAT is a basic requirement to test an applying student’s abilities. Baruch should continue to require SAT.”
Despite the number of testing optional schools, most colleges and universities still require test scores for admission. At Baruch the class of 2020 will be required to give either SAT or ACT scores on their application. However, as the doubts over the success of test scores build up, schools across the country waive their testing requirements. Despite the Baruch admission office’s current reliance on test scores, by the end of the decade Baruch could find itself among the group of testing optional schools.