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Kendall Folley

Prof. Sobocinski

English Comp 1201

March 24 2020

College. The thought of it is a little frightening, tons of excitement, and a little bit

on the mysterious side. You never know what you are going to encounter until you step

through those university gates. Before getting even close to your first day of higher

education, there are many steps that need to be taken. Although extensive, the process

of college admissions is a necessary process. College admissions includes many

different layers and areas that students have to undergo to be deemed sufficient

enough to attend a university. One of these layers being the results of standardized

testing. Though many deem necessary, standardized testing should not be a part of

considering whether or not a student is enough for a university.

As a student, thinking about attending a college can be stressful. There are many

items to consider. Campus size, cost, potential majors and minors, location, proximity

from home, sports, etc.. After feeling as if one has finally chosen the place where they

want to call home for the next several years they aren’t finished. Although one may

have their heart set on a place, that place might not have their heart set on them. This is

why many logically apply to multiple places. The application process can be quite

strenuous mentally. That being a reason that many students begin considering well

before the application deadline. Many start to plan and look at colleges into their junior

year of high school, some even earlier. Because of the tolling process of applications,

many set out a large amount of time to take care of them. According to Cengage
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Company, a standard college application will include a completed personal essay,

references, letters of recommendations, submitting transcripts, and submitting

standardized test scores as well as paying an application fee. Not only will these

different items be taken into account, the admissions officers will also look into much

more. This could include extracurricular activities, achievements outside of academics,

community service, and good indications that the prospective student would fit in well

with the specific university's morals and standards. Having many academic and social

components does nothing but increase the chances of being accepted and approved by

the desired school.

In a short period of time, admissions officers have to look over thousands of

applications. Depending on the university, some more than others. For example, highly

selective colleges such as Harvard only accept 5% of their total applicants. With a more

highly selective college there is a better chance of the application process being

prolonged by an interview. After deciding that an applicant has a sufficient enough

application, the next step for highly selective colleges would be having the applicant

come in and meet face to face to be determined on impression, whether they are a

good fit. While large state schools tend to receive more applicants they are more likely

to accept closer to 25-30% of their applications.

Next, we have athletes. Athletes are a little different when going through the

admissions process because they have to register through the National Collegiate

Athletics Association (NCAA) or the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

(NAIA) eligibility center. This is done after the prospective athlete’s junior year of high

school. Through this, athletes have to be certified to play, practice, and be part of the
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team while still having to go through the admissions process of their desired university.

Like any other student, there is a required GPA that an athlete has to have in order to

be deemed eligible and be considered to even attend the school.

According to Cengage, once an application is submitted it is then reviewed and

ranked by each school’s admissions officers and committees to determine acceptance,

denial, wait-list, or deferred decision. First the applicant is assessed on their academic

criteria, where they are assessed on standardized testing scores and whether or not the

specific schools minimum GPA has been met. They then look at extracurricular

activities and nonacademic achievements. This comes into play when comparing

students. A student could have a 4.0 GPA and gotten a 34 on their ACT but have no

extracurricular activities listed and then be compared to another student with a 4.0 GPA

who also got a 34 on her ACT but also played soccer, ran track, and participated in

student council. When comparing, the applicant that has participated in extracurriculars

is the student that looks more promising and complements what a university is looking

for. It has also been found that universities will look at social media profiles to search

for any questionable content when considering an applicant. In June of 2017, Harvard

University announced that 10 different applicants had their acceptances rescinded after

having been investigated and found either racist, sexist, or antisemitic content posted

on their social media platforms.

When it comes to the opinion of college admissions in the eyes of the public,

many believe the process is unfair and that the system is rigged. For those that believe

this, they say that the students of wealthy and well-connected families already have a

higher advantage and a leg up on all other applicants due to their family tree. There
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have been different situations where this has been the case. For example, in March

2019, 33 parents, 8 elite college coaches, three SAT proctors, and many more were

convicted of crimes like wiring and mail fraud for bribing schools to admit their children

to universities under false pretenses. Although some people do argue that colleges are

admitting people after given preferential consideration, others argue that the college

admissions process is a way of addressing the already unequal access to higher

education by taking different areas into review. If the process that college admissions

goes through is not around, that’s when privilege and connections comes into play. This

process gives a chance for those to prove through academic or athletic excellence and

achievements that they deserve to be a part of the university as much as the other.

Standardized Testing

A standardized test is any test that requires test takers to answer the same

questions or selected questions from a common bank of questions and is then scored in

a consistent manner. Standardized tests are very informative. They can give a lot of

information about a certain student based on the scores that they receive. Standardized

testing originated in China during the Han Dynasty. The United States has used

standardized testing since the 1900s and now almost all higher education levels require

a score from one of the many standardized tests. (What are the Various Standardized

Tests for Potential College Students?)

“Pros & Cons - ProCon.org.” Standardized Tests, standardizedtests.procon.org/.

There are different types of standardized tests that college admissions look at.

There is the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

(NMSQT), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and American College Testing (ACT).

Standardized tests are designed to measure the academic ability of a student. While all

these tests are scored differently, they all serve for a higher purpose, college. Colleges

use standardized tests to view whether or not an applicant is equipped with the

information that one would feel necessary to attend their university as well as setting

students apart from other students.

There are two different types of standardized tests. There are aptitude tests and

achievement tests. Aptitude tests are to predict how an individual will perform in an

educational setting. The ACT is considered an aptitude test because the result or score

is a prediction of how well a high school student will perform in college. An achievement

test is what school boards and state committees look at when determining the success

in academics at a certain school and the effectiveness of that school. A standardized

test includes questions from core subjects such as mathematics, science, social

science, and english/reading. A standardized test will have a time constraint although

those with a disability and those with certain disorders can receive either more time on

the test or a proctor that will read the test for the student depending on severity.

These tests not only help administrators but they also help the individuals that

partake in them. Using the ACT as an example, one could learn that they are excelling

in english and have absolutely nothing to worry about and then find out that they aren’t

even college ready for math. These tests are beneficial because they give students an
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opportunity to identify their strengths and weaknesses within the academic world. They

can also show how an individual grows within a given time. The standardized tests that

are listed above are only limited to what college admissions looks at. There are more

standardized tests K-12 and these tests are where you can really see growth.

Furthermore, they help teachers understand what their students have grasped and what

their students still need to learn. Overall, standardized tests have many benefits by

being able to tell the scholars, students, parents, and administrators a plentiful amount

of information. It is appreciated across the spectrum even if not shown all the time.

Of course, there are many factors that go into testing. Frankly, some students are

better test takers than others which is an argument that many people have when it

comes to these tests. If a student blanks out regularly or doesn’t manage time well then

that just puts them at a disadvantage, it isn’t quite a true reflection of what all a student

could know. Many argue that to get a good score on a test like the ACT or the SAT, one

just has to master the test. As long as a participant can answer as many questions in

the allotted time given as thoroughly as possible and can maintain focus throughout all

sections, then the test just got 60% easier to take. This is frustrating to a lot of people

because if one feels as if they really excel in math but they only answer 30 out of 60

questions on the ACT, they could get every question right and still get a terrible score

on that section. This is where there are many flaws in the standardized testing system.

Standardized testing is supposedly considered a way of fair testing. It’s a way so

that people across all spectrums can be measured on academic ability. The idea is that

with standardized testing there’s essentially no way that one could have a higher up

advantage than another and it is strictly what is known by the student. Although this is a
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goal, it is not quite what is achieved. “Based on the 2017 NAEP, average standardized

test scores in math and reading improved for African American and Hispanic students

between the 1990s and 2017, while white and Asian students consistently maintained

higher scores” (Standardized Testing). There is an overall concern regarding the

fairness of testing and the content in the tests. “Critics contend that cultural bias is

structural, meaning biases are built into test design, preparation, and implementation,

whether consciously or not” (9). Not only has this been a problem for parents, they also

argue that their children are being over-tested and should not have to participate in

everything that is asked of them.

Like any controversial topics, there are many of those who support standardized

testing but there are also those who are highly against it. The Common Core State

Standards Initiative introduced in the 2000s had a purpose of ensuring that students

across the nation receive the same quality of education. According to Kate Barrington,

The initiative had goals that they wanted each school to be able to meet by the end of

the school year and certain things that the students needed to know before progressing

to the next school year. The end goal for the initiative is so that all students have an

equal opportunity to attend college after high school. The idea behind the initiative is

great but there comes some controversy when standardized testing is brought up.

Standardized testing is something that is very important to the initiative as it is

used as evidence to show that students are on the right learning track. Makes sense

right? No big deal. The problem comes when instead of students learning the content

and material of the class they are instead learning the requirements needed to pass the

standardized tests. The quality of teaching comes into question and this is why many
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people don’t agree with the Common Core State Standards Initiative and also don’t

agree with standardized testing. A teacher could go on with their lesson plan and not

have to worry about standardized testing if it hadn’t been so emphasized for so long.

Furthermore, standardized testing should not be required in the college

admissions process. For many students it is believed that the score they receive on

their ACT or SAT will dictate their future. Not receiving a “sufficient” enough test score

makes teenagers believe that their world is ending because their dream school requires

a higher score. This in turn, tends to put a lot of stress on those students in high school

to perform exceptionally well. A test score, however, does not describe a person and

with a college requiring a certain score, it makes many feel that way.

Many colleges are considering making the change to test-optional meaning test

scores are not required to attend a university. At the College of Holy Cross they found

that being test-optional has only brought positive results. “The commission advises

colleges to scrutinize how they use test scores and urges them to place more emphasis

on students' high-school curricula and achievements” (McDermott 4). Holy Cross

applied this and then observed three years later that their university was becoming

more and more diverse. “The percentage of first-year students admitted from outside

New England went from 46 percent to 50 percent; and the proportion of African-

American, Latin American, Asian-American, and Native American students went from

17 percent to 21 percent” (6). Holy Cross had the right idea. They believed that there is

more to a student than what score they receive on a two hour test. Holy Cross paid

more attention to their records, the quality of courses they are taking, whether that be
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AP classes, honors, or general, and they also looked at extracurriculars and qualitative

examinations of students.

Unfortunately, although colleges are trying to bring about a change when it

comes to standardized testing, there are still those who rely heavily on those results. In

the article “Achievement Versus Aptitude in College Admissions: Students should be

selected on the basis of their demonstrated success in learning, not some ill-defined

notion of aptitude”, Richard Atkinson discusses his experiences while questioning the

role and purpose of the SAT. He speaks of many examples of which he would receive

letters from those who aren’t connected to higher education at all but rather still have

that stinging feeling of their results on the SAT. “I heard from a young woman--an

honors graduate of UC Berkeley with an advanced degree from Princeton--who had

been questioned about her 10-year-old SAT scores in a job interview” (4). This being

one example. The purpose of his sharing was to prove the point that all these people

had moved on and had success in their careers but are still reminded in their daily life

on how the SAT has affected them.

However, many people argue differently. There are obviously thousands of

schools, which means thousands of different teaching styles and thousands of different

ways that students are being graded. A student at one school could have a teacher that

grades really hard and not receive the same grade as a student that has a teacher that

grades just for completion. Many argue that standardized testing is the way to sort out

the bad teachers from the good and test solely on what is known by the student. This is

true there is no argument in that. It’s not that standardized testing should be completely
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scrapped and gotten rid of, it’s that it should not be a requirement in today’s world of

college admissions.

It’s not the idea of standardized tests that is wrong. It is the emphasis of which

has been placed on it that makes people want to end it. It’s a way of trying to make

things as fair and as equal opportunistic as they can be, but the notion that these tests

are going to make or break a college experience based on where a student could be

accepted or denied shouldn’t be something that a student has to worry about. A student

shouldn’t stress over a two hour and fifty five minute test. A two hour and fifty five

minute test should not decide someone’s future. With college admissions taking these

tests so seriously, a future could be changed just by a simple “Congratulations you’ve

been accepted” or a “We regret to inform you..”. Although, it’s an idea with great

intentions, standardized testing shouldn’t hold the weight that it does.

Works Cited Page

"College Admissions Process." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2019. Gale In Context:
Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/PC3010999315/OVIC?
u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=aa75522d. Accessed 28 Mar. 2020.

Atkinson, Richard C. "Achievement Versus Aptitude in College Admissions: Students should be selected on
the basis of their demonstrated success in learning, not some ill-defined notion of aptitude." Issues in Science
and Technology, vol. 18, no. 2, 2001, p. 31+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-
com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/A82393214/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=cb9e68c9. Accessed 28
Mar. 2020.

“Pros & Cons - ProCon.org.” Standardized Tests, standardizedtests.procon.org/.

McDermott, Ann B. "Colleges Do Not Need SAT Scores to Be Selective in Admissions." Standardized
Testing, edited by Dedria Bryfonski, Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing
Viewpoints, https://link-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/EJ3010478227/OVIC?
u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=568ca14c. Accessed 28 Mar. 2020. Originally published as "Surviving without
the SAT," Chronicle of Higher Education, 10 Oct. 2008.

Strauss, Valerie. “Analysis | Is It Finally Time to Get Rid of the SAT and ACT College
Admissions Tests?” The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 Mar. 2019,
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www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/03/19/is-it-finally-time-get-rid-sat-act-college-
admissions-tests/.

Bauer-Wolf, Jeremy. “Standardized Tests Still a Big Factor in College Admissions, Report
Finds.” Education Dive, 1 Nov. 2019, www.educationdive.com/news/standardized-tests-still-a-
big-factor-in-college-admissions-report-finds/566464/.

"Standardized Testing." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018. Gale In Context:
Opposing Viewpoints, https://link-gale-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/apps/doc/PC3010999023/OVIC?
u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=c9c0858f. Accessed 29 Mar. 2020.

Ascd. “Why Standardized Tests Don't Measure Educational Quality.” Why Standardized Tests
Don't Measure Educational Quality - Educational Leadership,
www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar99/vol56/num06/Why-Standardized-
Tests-Don't-Measure-Educational-Quality.aspx.