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Colleges Send the SAT the Small Envelope

For years the SAT has been the gatekeeper to a college career. Without an SAT (or equivalent A.C.T.) score, preferably as perfect as possible, most colleges will not accept an application. But critics say the test’s structure seems cruel and heartless, created specifically for those wealthy enough to train Rocky-style for a gauntlet of convoluted word problems and archaic analogies. Although it is a gross oversimplification to say that some did not get into college because they could not tell when Johnnie, who started going 15 miles per hour east at 1 a.m., will meet Susie, who began traveling west at 20 miles per hour 200 miles from Johnnie at 2 a.m., it is not too far from the truth. As doubt grows concerning the effectiveness of the test, and its ability to accurately gauge a student’s aptitude, some colleges have decided to completely ignore the SAT, despite its dominance of the Educational Testing Service system.

Christina Aushana/Guardian

Henry Chauncey is one of the main proponents of the SAT today. He was the first director of ETS and a key figure in the formation of standardized testing during the 1930s and ’40s. He is also one of the biggest critics of the test’s use. In an interview with PBS for its show “Secrets of the SAT,” Chauncey attacked those who recommend eliminating the SAT.

“I think they’re cutting off their nose to spite their face or something,” Chauncey said. “I think the thing is to use the SAT as one of a number of factors. But I think it’d be less fair in admissions if you throw it out. My attitude was always that the tests were useful and very helpful, but they weren’t everything. You had to take into account the school record, or whatever other records you had in making any decisions, so that I’m I guess a bit unhappy with the uses to which some colleges, or some institutions put this.” Chauncey’s sentiments were echoed in Richard Atkinson’s, then president of the University of California, monumental address to the 83rd annual meeting of the American Council on Education in 2001.

In his speech, Atkinson called for less emphasis on the SAT and examination scores and more emphasis on the applicant’s total resume. The buzzword of the time became “comprehensive review,” an evolutionary dimension to admissions that has since changed the UC system. Three years ago, a report detailing Berkeley’s admissions system uncovered an extremely polarized pool of applicants; some students were accepted with SAT scores of 700. Critics said that in an attempt to make admissions more equitable, Berkeley devalued the SAT scores of some applicants and placed too much weight on extracurricular activities and social factors.

UCSD has also sought a balancing act, according to the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Admissions and Registration Mae W. Brown, who in 2004 explained the admissions system to @UCSD, an alumni magazine.

“This is not a personal judgment on the applicant,” Brown stated. “It is as close to scientific as we can make it.”

The campus’ system is based off of 11,100 total points. Students earn points for grades, test scores and socioeconomic factors. Their scores are put into an index and compared against competing applications. While UCSD does place a heavy consideration on grades and examination scores, it tries to account for factors outside of the SAT’s range with personal essays that examine the student’s quality of living and academic opportunities.

Maine’s Bates College, however, has taken it a step further. The campus has exorcised the test from its application reviews completely, and is one of the leaders at the forefront of optional testing admissions. The college declared SAT scores optional to the admissions process in 1984. According to a study published on their Web site, Bates College has found no difference between those who chose to submit test scores and those who didn’t with regards to their academic performance and graduation rate. One of the college’s findings makes a bold statement: “Testing is not necessary for predicting good performance; the academic ratings assigned by Bates admissions staff are highly accurate for both submitters and nonsubmitters in predicting GPA.” Students applying to Bates College must complete the Common Application for colleges and a supplementary essay explaining why they want to attend Bates College.

It is unfair, however, to draw a direct comparison between Bates College and the UC system, which is a far larger patron of the SATs. Bates College enjoyed a total student population of 1,684 full-time students for fall 2005. Last year, UCSD had 20,679 full-time students for its total undergraduate enrollment. The economies of scale between the two campuses provide serious differences in the application process. While most high school juniors would agree with the persuasion of Bates College, many educators are calling for a revision of the SAT, not a revolution.

The admissions office does not say what score on the SAT will garner an admission to UCSD, but it does repeatedly state that applicants must exceed minimum requirements in order to get the large packet in the mail. According to the 2006 freshmen profile, average scores for the SAT were 627, 664, and 636 for critical reading, math and writing, respectively.

It seems the resources necessary to institute a testing-optional admissions system are not yet at the disposal of the University of California. While some may bemoan the persistence of the SAT and its use in admissions, administrators are still weary of their dependence upon test scores. Atkinson outlined his hopes for the future of standardized testing.

“Changing standardized test requirements is a step in the right direction, but in the best of circumstances there will be a tendency to overemphasize test scores,” Atkinson said. “Admissions officers at UC campuses recognize this problem and have introduced more holistic, more comprehensive evaluation processes.”

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