Davidson latest to make ACT, SAT optional

[MU82]

From the Charlotte Observer:

Davidson College is making permanent its test-optional policy that allows students to apply without SAT or ACT scores. The move announced this week turns a pilot program into policy and adds Davidson College to other Charlotte-area institutions that do not require standardized tests for admission.

Chris Gruber, vice president for admission and financial aid and dean of admissions, said standardized tests create barriers for some students. Test scores also show only a fraction of academic potential, Gruber said.

“What we didn’t know was the impact of test-optional on the overall class,” Gruber said. “Two years later, we have the answer: This shift allows students to present themselves fully and the caliber of our incoming classes has not only remained stable, it has increased — in grades, life experiences and even test scores.”

Davidson College joins Queens University of Charlotte, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Catawba College and Belmont Abbey College as local institutions that are permanently test-optional.

Davidson first made test scores optional on March 30, 2020, when the pandemic forced testing centers to close and most students could not take the ACT or SAT.

Gruber said in a news release the following two years showed the college can evaluate applicants effectively without standardized testing.

“Standardized testing still provides some useful information, but other aspects of an applicant’s academic journey better demonstrate how they will perform and thrive here,” Gruber said. “We make a holistic review of our applicants so we can appreciate their different backgrounds and no single factor rules the day.”

Jay Pfeifer, Davidson’s director of media relations, said campus officials want to know what kind of person a student is, not just what kind of student they are.

“We also know that those tests can be an obstacle for students without access to test preparation or Advanced Placement classes in high school,” Pfeifer said. “The Admission team found that other parts of the application better demonstrate how a prospective student will thrive on campus.”

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/education/article260341005.html#storylink=cpy

[4everwarriors]

Too bad, Davidson now downgraded to an also ran, hey?

[swoopem]

I did horrible on my ACT.

Thank god for FFP

[MU82]

Too bad, Davidson now downgraded to an also ran, hey?

I hope they can survive being also-rans, because that status has absolutely crippled other schools that stopped mandating SAT/ACT such as the U of Chicago, Cal-Berkeley, NYU, George Washington, Wake Forest, American U, Smith, Hofstra, Sarah Lawrence, etc, etc, etc.

It's not 1973 anymore, nu?

[PBRme]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/29/us/mit-sat-act-standardized-tests/index.html

MIT requiring SAT/ACT after trying without

Thought its not Davidson

[forgetful]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/29/us/mit-sat-act-standardized-tests/index.html

MIT requiring SAT/ACT after trying without

Thought its not Davidson

If you read why MIT is doing so it makes sense. No one is going to dock them points in terms of quality of education if their average SAT/ACT score drops a bit. So having everyone take it gives them a metric to determine students who might need a little extra help getting started in college.

One of the big reasons Universities are going away from such a metric is that it discriminates against first-gen college students, and those from disadvantaged socio/economic backgrounds, as the SAT/ACT now is largely a measure of how much money your family can sink into training you to score high. Instead they could broaden their inclusivity by focusing on a more well-rounded metric (while not hurting their average SAT/ACT which is used for some services to ranks schools...stupid in its own right).

The benefit is better inclusivity, and you reward people for working hard, as opposed to being born into a wealthy family/community. The problem is that due to inequities in the quality of education, some of these first-gen students, or those from disadvantaged socio/economic backgrounds, need a little bit more help starting college. That can be caught by looking at SAT/ACT scores, where you can then direct them into programs designed to help them succeed.

MIT is in a situation, where their reputation stands for itself, so they can use the mandatory SAT/ACT to flag students that need help. Other institutions accomplish this in different ways (e.g. placement exams, and wholistic analysis of schools, resources, and historic trends from similar schools).

The good thing is that all these universities are still trying to do their part and reward people for hard work and dedication, as well as intelligence, instead of just rewarding people for being born privileged.

[MU82]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/29/us/mit-sat-act-standardized-tests/index.html

MIT requiring SAT/ACT after trying without

That's cool. Thanks for posting.

Also, see forgetful's post.

[PBRme]

If you read why MIT is doing so it makes sense. No one is going to dock them points in terms of quality of education if their average SAT/ACT score drops a bit. So having everyone take it gives them a metric to determine students who might need a little extra help getting started in college.

One of the big reasons Universities are going away from such a metric is that it discriminates against first-gen college students, and those from disadvantaged socio/economic backgrounds, as the SAT/ACT now is largely a measure of how much money your family can sink into training you to score high. Instead they could broaden their inclusivity by focusing on a more well-rounded metric (while not hurting their average SAT/ACT which is used for some services to ranks schools...stupid in its own right).

The benefit is better inclusivity, and you reward people for working hard, as opposed to being born into a wealthy family/community. The problem is that due to inequities in the quality of education, some of these first-gen students, or those from disadvantaged socio/economic backgrounds, need a little bit more help starting college. That can be caught by looking at SAT/ACT scores, where you can then direct them into programs designed to help them succeed.

MIT is in a situation, where their reputation stands for itself, so they can use the mandatory SAT/ACT to flag students that need help. Other institutions accomplish this in different ways (e.g. placement exams, and wholistic analysis of schools, resources, and historic trends from similar schools).

The good thing is that all these universities are still trying to do their part and reward people for hard work and dedication, as well as intelligence, instead of just rewarding people for being born privileged.

I think that was all in the article, but thank you for repeating it.