Why colleges are adopting standardized tests again
In April, Harvard University announced that it would again require prospective undergraduates to submit either SAT or ACT scores as part of their applications for fall 2025, a significant policy reversal for the Ivy League school. Harvard was one of many colleges and universities that dropped its standardized testing requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompted by the widespread closure of testing centers amid unprecedented circumstances. It was the latest development in the ongoing evolution of standardized testing, the purpose and value of which have been hotly debated for decades.
The Test-Optional Movement
Schools that dropped standardized test scores as requirements for admissions decisions during the pandemic were far from the first to do so. The test-optional movement, which gained traction well before 2020, had already raised questions and concerns about the tests’ legitimacy, prompting some 200 four-year colleges and universities to adopt “test-optional” or “test-blind” policies over the two decades prior. Cultural and racial barriers inherent in standardized tests are well-documented. White and Asian students typically fall at the higher end of scoring distributions, while Black and Hispanic/Latino students are at the lower end, according to data from the Brookings Institution.
Why test scores matter
When the University of Texas at Austin announced that it would once again require undergraduate applicants to submit standardized test scores after four years of test-optional admissions, the school released data showing that students who declined to send in their SAT and ACT scores were seriously underperforming. In 2023, around 90% of applicants to UT Austin submitted standardized test scores. Those who did had a median SAT score of 1420 out of 1600, while those who declined had a substantially lower median SAT score of 1160. Students who submitted SAT scores performed better in their classes, earning a 0.86 higher grade point average than their peers who did not.
Standardized test scores might be the best success indicator for lower-income students
With conflicting data on standardized tests, holistic admissions have gained favor in recent years, an approach that promises to paint a fuller picture of each candidate. Yet some studies show that these holistic views can be even more skewed in favor of higher-income students. Research by Harvard and Brown University economists analyzed admissions data from elite colleges and found that after controlling for test scores, more than 35% of applicants whose parents were in the top 0.1% of the income distribution had high “non-academic” ratings, compared to around 25% for applicants from a household with typical income.
The Future of College Admissions
Since the College Board Entrance Exams broke ground in 1901, standardized testing has been a flashpoint in conversations about culture, education, and meritocracy in America. Current trends may only prove one thing: College admissions are increasingly fraught, and admissions officers must deal with the tension between maintaining high academic standards and ensuring that all students are given a fair shot at higher education—and a good start on their future.
