The academic performance of students admitted through Test Optional is below expectations - Can Test Optional continue?

Harvard University Admissions and Test Optional

More than 60,000 students apply to Harvard University each year, but only around 1,900 receive acceptance notifications. Why do only 1,900 out of 60,000 students receive acceptance notifications?

As many parents may know, due to the Test Optional policy, Harvard is thought to consider only high school grades and extracurricular activities when selecting admitted students. However, can we really assume that ACT/SAT scores will not be considered at all because of the Test Optional policy?

The Reality of Test Optional

If students admitted through Test Optional perform significantly worse academically and cannot keep up with coursework compared to students who submitted SAT/ACT scores, is there a possibility that top universities might consider using SAT/ACT scores in admissions?

SAT/ACT Scores as an Important Criterion for Admissions

On January 8th, The New York Times published a crucial article on higher education admissions. The title of the article is "A parable for our times: Our era's parable," and the first sentence is "Higher education has a standardized-test problem, and it’s not the problem that many people think." The article points out that despite standardized tests (SAT/ACT exams) being an important tool for evaluating students in college, many people do not perceive it as a problem.

In particular, the article reiterates issues previously pointed out by Jay’s EDU column, emphasizing the seriousness of the problem. It suggests that high school GPA alone is not sufficient as a criterion for selecting good students.

The article indicates that admissions officers selecting students at universities believe that admitting students without SAT and ACT scores could pose problems for the university. Without test scores, admissions officers may have difficulty distinguishing between students who can faithfully perform academically at top universities and those who may struggle to keep up with the coursework. This is because high school grades (high school GPA) do not provide enough information about a student's academic abilities, especially due to grade inflation in many high schools where students are consistently awarded high grades.

Opinions of Brown University President on Test Optional

Research is underway to compare the college life and academic performance of students admitted through Test Optional and those who submitted SAT/ACT scores.

Christina Paxson, the president of Brown University, a member of the Ivy League, recently mentioned that SAT/ACT scores are the most accurate way to assess students' ability to succeed in college. She particularly emphasizes that these scores are a more effective criterion for admissions than high school GPA.

Academic Performance of Test Optional Admitted Students

According to research conducted by Brown University and Dartmouth College, students admitted through Test Optional reported lower grades compared to those who submitted SAT/ACT scores. Among the students accepted to these top universities, the top 1% with ACT/SAT scores recorded GPAs ranging from 3.6 to 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. In contrast, students admitted through Test Optional showed GPAs around 3.2, similar to the scores of students with SAT scores around 1300, which would be insufficient for admission to Brown and Dartmouth.

The research also notes that even students who received perfect grades in all high school classes did not achieve GPAs exceeding 3.5 at Brown and Dartmouth.

SAT/ACT Scores as Predictors of Academic Success

This research indicates that SAT/ACT scores are crucial indicators for predicting students' performance in college.

Advantage of Famous Specialized High School Students in Test Optional

One of the main reasons for advocating the elimination of SAT/ACT exams is the tendency for students from higher-income families to receive relatively higher scores, potentially putting students from lower-income backgrounds at a disadvantage.

However, many studies suggest that while the average SAT/ACT scores of students from lower-income families may be lower than those from higher-income families, these test scores are advantageous for identifying high-potential students from lower-income backgrounds. In other words, SAT/ACT scores may be more favorable for selecting low-income students who excel academically compared to extracurricular activities that require significant financial investment and parental support.

Harvard economist David Deming emphasizes that students who suffer the most when test scores are not considered are those who achieve high scores in relatively unknown high schools that do not frequently send students to Ivy League schools. He states that for these students, SAT scores are crucial.

In summary, the article suggests that students from prestigious private schools or specialized high schools may have an advantage in Test Optional compared to students from regular public high schools. The article also notes that students from general public high schools, who perform as well as or better than top students from specialized schools, may face a disadvantage in Test Optional.

Therefore, the best way to avoid such disadvantages is to demonstrate objective academic abilities, and these can be proven through SAT/ACT scores.

Test Optional may be disadvantageous for well-performing Korean students

Analyzing the content of a New York Times article, it appears that SAT/ACT scores continue to play a crucial role in admissions to top-tier universities. Particularly, if research reveals that students admitted to universities through Test Optional struggle to keep up with the academic rigor of these top universities, it is suggested that even with Test Optional policies in place, top-tier universities are likely to consider SAT/ACT scores in their admission decisions. Notably, in recent admissions cycles, it has been reported that students who submitted SAT/ACT scores had better admission outcomes.

Jay’s EDU Free ACT Assessment Test

Jay’s EDU will be conducting an ACT practice test for students in grades 7 to 11 on Saturday, January 20th, at 9 AM, and on Sunday, January 21st, at 2 PM. This assessment, which has been on temporary hiatus since January 2020 due to COVID-19, is being reintroduced after four years.

Targeting students from 7th to 11th grade, the ACT practice test is open to all students, not just those enrolled at Jay’s EDU, and participation is free of charge. Based on the results of the practice test, a College Road Map will be created to support accurate academic advancement for the students.

For more details, please visit www.jaysedu.com.

Jay’s EDU Northbrook & eLearning www.jaysedu.com 224.213.7620