In the scholarly journal “Brave New World: How Test-Optional Policies Could (And Should) Change College Admissions,” written by William C. Hiss and Valerie W. Franks, Hiss and Franks concluded that students who do not send test scores to institutions tend to perform just as well as student’s that send test scores. Hiss and Franks shares their research from a total of 37,000 students from public and private institutions that were accepted to college without sending any test scores. These students were then studied closely by their high school grade point average (GPA), cumulative college GPA, and standardized test scores. The end results explained that there was a very small difference between submitters and non-submitters. Standardized test
Research indicates that students whose parents did not attend college are more likely than their non-first-generation counterparts to be less academically prepared for college, to have less knowledge of how to apply for college and for financial assistance, and to have more difficulty in adapting themselves to college once they enroll. They are also more at risk for not completing a degree because they are more likely to delay enrollment after high school, to enroll in postsecondary education part-time, and to work full-time while enrolled. (Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Pasacrella & Terenzini, 1991; Tinto, 19931), First-generation students, may lack the cultural and social capital, which may account for the difficulties they face in academia (Perna, 2000). Targeted intervention efforts that reach out to first-generation students both before and during college can help alleviate the barriers and challenges first-generation students face and help colleges reach their goal of recruiting and retaining all students. Academic Barriers Research has shown that low-income and first generation students are less likely to be engaged in the academic and social experiences that foster success in college, such as studying in groups, interacting with faculty and other students, participating in extracurricular activities, and using support
In today’s world, students are required to take the SAT and ACT, which open doors for some people and exclude
As students start their senior year of high school there are many changes in their life. This is the time of a student’s life when they decide what they want to do after they graduate high school. Students can decide to join the military, work, or continue their education at a college or university. For the students who continue their education they have many things to do before they finally get accepted. A common step they take is taking the The American College Test (ACT) and the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT).
They argue that the real issue lies with the fact that colleges rely too heavily on the SAT in admission decisions. Scores of studies have shown that the SAT and ACT are poor indicators of students’ future success in college. Despite this, many colleges will still use these tests to weed out students who scored low, students that they predict will perform poorly in college, regardless of their levels of achievement, academic or otherwise, outside of standardized testing. This results in high numbers of students of color, who traditionally score lower on standardized tests, getting left out of the admissions process - because they’re being predicted not to do
However, it is still an issue for students to cough up that money. The idea of making community college free to any student in America has been a dream for low income students for a while. President Obama’s desire to make the tuition of community college to everyone in the nation would only make it difficult for students to get a free education, limit them to essential resources, and discourage students from applying to four year universities. Granting free community college tuition to incoming freshmen will draw “more students to already crowded community colleges”. Along with the overcrowded campuses, a very long waiting list will soon form making it just as competitive to get into a four year university.
Soares has split the book into three sections based on what the essay and report is about. The first section deals with the history and an overview of the SAT. Section number two deals with how schools remove bias, case studies done by universities, and new techniques that can be used in replace of standardized testing. The final section evaluates test-optional policies. Bits and pieces of this book can be used to argue that schools should not look at test scores during the admissions process.
Pansy Harris Mrs. Shephard English IV 20 February 2018 Students Are Just a Standardized Test Score What if getting into college was not based on a state test score defining how good you did on it? Students all around are being defined as a person on how well they did on the SAT/ACT and how high their GPA was in high school. Standardized tests shouldn’t define you because maybe you are not a test taker, not everyone is good at academics, and maybe you were stressed out over these state tests because you know you would be defined on your test results.
Students in the United States go to high school, graduate with a good GPA, apply to a college of their choice, get accepted, and go through college to find a high-paying job in the future. Unfortunately, there are some students who have the grades but do not have the test scores that colleges would like to see to be admitted. The alternate route for these students that still would want to pursue a college degree would be to either retake the tests that they did not do the best on or apply to a community college, and then transfer into a college of their choice. The use of standardized testing in college admissions should be eliminated due to its biased nature, limited scope, and lack of effectiveness in predicting student success. Standardized
Argument Paper 1 In our society, there is constant pressure on high schoolers to be the perfect student so that they can get into college. One of the pressures that school systems put on their students is standardized testing, such as the ACT and SAT. Standardized tests are an issue because they are quantitative measurements that ignore qualitative evaluations of students. Although there is no way to make the college application process stress-free, eliminating standardized tests will stop objectifying students and promote inclusivity.
So many students are under the impression that because they did not make a certain score on the ACT or the SAT they will not get into college, or if they do they will fail. The importance placed on high stakes test is damaging students confidence in their academic abilities and therefore reducing the amount of student’s that make it through college or even go to
Everyone is familiar with the dreaded standardized examinations that occur at the end of every single school year and are necessary for college admissions. Although these tests are not inherently value defining, society has subtly placed a disproportionate worth on the outcomes of these exams. Allowing exams to determine students’ academic worth is unproductive and potentially harmful to a young scholar’s motivation. Standardized testing is not beneficial to students because undesired results can discourage young people, misrepresent a student’s capabilities, and negatively affect future pursuits.
The students are only being taught the need-to-know basics. Thus, students are not getting the full benefits from a high school course that could possibly further prepare them for college classes or even life experiences. Finally, an impressive standardized test score does not always correlate to better college performance. “Students with good grades and modest testing did better in college than students with higher testing and lower high school grades” (Sheffer np). Some colleges tend to ignore insufficient high school grades if the student’s test scores are higher than average.
In a study published by the Center for Studies in Higher Education at the University of California, Berkeley in 2007, standardized tests scores were proven to be not the greatest predictor of success in college, but instead high school grade point averages correlated with higher grades in college (Geiser, & Santelices, 2007). In another study, finding found that SAT scores were even poorer predictors of college success in minority students (Hoffman, & Lowitzki, 2005). Once again, high school grade point averages were shown to be better predictors of good grades in college (Hoffman, & Lowitzki, 2005). While SAT’s might have been created to help predict a student’s aptitude for success in college, it is proven that they do not accomplish that
The SAT and ACT have come under scrutiny for unreliability when it comes to college preparedness. Even though there is support for the test and its ability to predict a student’s first year performance, studies from a number of other sources have found negatives that come along with these tests. From elitism to inhibiting brilliant minds, evidence shows that these two tests are more trouble than they are worth. Colleges are even beginning to react to the negatives involved with the tests. With these negatives becoming more apparent, many colleges have adopted a test optional approach, instead of basing acceptance off of test scores.
