The SAT test, a standardized test used in admission which has been in use in some form since 1926 (see A Brief History of the SAT), is considered by many colleges and universities across the U.S. as one of the gold standard measures for academic success in college.

Over the last 20 years, however, some colleges have begun to reduce their reliance on this test or eliminate the test completely from their admissions processes (see The National Center for Fair and Open Testing for a listing of these institutions). These institutions made this decision because they perceive such testing is flawed, misused, and/or a poor measure of academc potential.

Recently, William R. Fitzsimmons released the findings of his study, the Study of the Use of Standardized Tests in Undergraduate Admission, which support the idea that the SAT is a poor measure of potential academic performance (see Sara Rimer's article, Study of Standardized Admissions Test is Big Draw at College Conference, in the New York Times). SAT scores, he notes, are too much a factor of where a student lives, their exposure to educational opportunities, and their access to and participation in test prep activities.

So why do colleges and universities still place so much weight on the SAT? Part of it is history--the SAT has been around forever. Another part of it is resistance to change--they've always used this test as part of their admissions requirements. Another part of it is connection--many colleges and universities have very strong ties to the CollegeBoard, the company that manages and promotes this exam. But change, hopefully, is in the wind.

Top ranked/Big 10 Colleges and universities are finally taking a step back and re-evaluating their use of the exam to see whether it truly fits in with their mission and purpose. Hopefully, this means that colleges and universities will focus more on the student's academic history, in terms of measuring potential, and less on test scores. We'll just have to wait and see what sort of an impact this study will have over the next couple of years.

Until next time!

Lynn Byrne

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