In recent years, there has been a trend for many colleges and universities to adopt a “test-optional” policy. In this situation, students are given a choice about whether to send their SAT scores and/or ACT scores to a college. The “test-optional” trend especially gained popularity during and after the COVID-19 pandemic since many testing sites had to shut down. To some extent, “test-optional” policies appeared to offer a level of equity and flexibility for students. However, in more recent years, some serious issues have come to the forefront regarding this trend.
Test-optional policies can cause a number of issues for college-bound students. Among the largest sources of confusion is a lack of transparency. If a college offers students the choice of whether to include their scores in college admissions, then more power is given to a college regarding how it is going to share information about its entering class. In other words, if only those students with “good” SAT and/or ACT scores choose to send in their scores to a college, that college can claim to have a “better” SAT average when in reality its scores really are not as high. Giving a college this power can cause a number of confusing issues for those college-bound students trying to determine if their scores are “good enough.”
The other issue is that test-optional policies can widen inequality when they were initially made to counter it. There has always been criticism that standardized tests benefit those with backgrounds that can afford tutoring and tutoring agencies. Although this is true, this still has not resolved where the real concern is. Test-optional policies even made other aspects of college admissions even more critical. That is where inequality is highlighted. The more privileged students can provide expert writers for their essays and enroll in costly summer programs. On the other hand, less privileged students may not be availed of this privilege to compete.
The third issue with a test-optional admissions policy is that it makes it more confusing for students as to where they need to improve. The SAT is not a perfect measure of preparation for college success. However, it is a measurable and concrete thing that students can work towards. In a test-optional college admissions process, this is simply not available to students. Again, this adds stress to a process that is supposed to showcase one’s academic abilities and competitiveness.
Test-optional policies also make it more difficult to compare applicants objectively. Grade variation can occur significantly between institutions. Moreover, some institutions have a more rigorous grading system than others. So, when a student receives an A in one school, it is not directly comparable to an A in another school. Tests are not perfect either, but they were a common factor to measure all students equally across America. Test-optional policies have made it more challenging for college officials to remain as objective as possible. Take a case where a college official is more acquainted with a prestigious private school. The school is more preferred to a less-privileged individual in a similar school simply because one is well known.
Finally, a side effect of making colleges test-optional is that this has caused admission numbers to hit a record high. Going to a selective college has simply gotten even more competitive. Students are less concerned about having poor scores when applying to college. Therefore, more “just in case” applications are submitted. The effect is that many are rejected even though they are qualified. The whole process has appeared even more random and more competitive. Students have invested hours into polishing their college essays and resumes to still end up rejected without a clue as to why.
In summary, even though test-optional policies for college admissions were supposed to make this process more fair and less stressful for students to navigate, this has actually created a whole new round of issues. The lack of standards in this process makes it confusing to understand, more attention on other aspects of college admission leads to a deeper level of inequality in accepted students, and the number of college applications has brought acceptance rates to their lowest levels ever. Rather than eliminating college testing altogether, institutions need to find a better way to make testing more accessible and not as biased when scoring. In this scenario, all students can have a fair chance to display their potential. Test-optional college admission policies seem like a good idea, but are actually making college admission even more challenging to pursue.
