Should American College Testing Be Abolished Dbq Essay

For high schoolers across the country, the test administered by American College Testing (ACT) is intimidating. Compared to past standardized tests in elementary school, middle school, and even high school, the ACT holds major implications. The score students receive on their ACT heavily influences their acceptance to certain colleges and universities in the United States. The test is scored on a 1-36 scale, one being the lowest and thirty-six being the highest score a student can achieve. The importance placed on ACT scores has grown exponentially throughout the past decades, as college admissions are more competitive than ever. Especially at highly selective universities such as Harvard, Princeton, or Notre Dame, a score in the 33-36

Because college applicants come from all around the country, uniformity can be tough to establish. The ACT, however, provides colleges with a "broad yardstick to compare students across disparate school districts and states" (Source E). Classes at a private boarding school in the Northeast may be more difficult than those at a charter school in inner St. Louis. This difficulty can lead to some students having better grades on paper, even though they may not be as capable of completing college level work. To even the playing field, the ACT allows colleges to see not just how students stack up against each other, but how successful they will be academically at the college level (Source C). Many focus too much on gaining admission to university, but do not consider the challenges that lie ahead in the curriculum. If a student receives a lower ACT score, it may mean that they are ill prepared academically. On the contrary, a student that receives a high ACT score will likely be prepared for the course load and the difficulty of it. Although the ACT is just one of many factors' colleges take into consideration, "standardized test scores can show that they are capable of better work than what their GPA may indicate" (Source B). The ACT's popularity is a direct result of its accuracy in determining college readiness, helping

One of the reasons that many schools have dropped testing requirements is that they believe "tests are racist, classist, and sexist" (Source F). These claims are backed by some evidence, such as data collected by the ACT which shows that certain groups have much higher average scores than others. For example, the average score of a black student was nine points lower than that of an Asian student (Source A). That said, the ACT does not specifically discriminate against any race, class, or gender, as all students are given the same test. The questions given to Asian students are no different than those given to their black counterparts. What is true, however, is that certain students are on average more well off financially than others. With the surplus of private tutoring available, students who can afford it have an edge. A private tutor can make a world of difference, contributing to this divide. The uniformity offered by the ACT comes at a cost: it allows some students to use their economic resources to get ahead. Still, the ACT impacts many people that are not White, Asian, or wealthy. Students in lower income communities whose GPA may not be as good because they must support their family economically are given a chance to demonstrate their readiness. A good ACT score can sway the potential of their admission