Aiding admissions officers in estimating academic performance, the SATs are being seen as a tool to differentiate applicants and gauge a student’s abilities.
According to the Princeton Review, the SAT is a test used by colleges and universities to help make admissions decisions.
“The SAT is a multiple-choice, computer-based test created and administered by the College Board,” The Princeton Review said.
After a period of universities going test-optional, many are bringing back SATs as a required component of the admissions process.
“Two reasons for the change come up repeatedly in the colleges’ announcements,” Forbes said. “SAT scores predict first-year college grades, and they help admissions officers evaluate a student in context.”
According to Progress Learning, Dartmouth, MIT, Brown, Caltech, Georgetown, Harvard, Yale, and the entirety of the public university systems of Florida and Georgia are now requiring the SAT.
“Our research shows standardized tests help us better assess the academic preparedness of all applicants,” MIT’s dean of admissions and student financial services Stu Schmill said,“and also help us identify socioeconomically disadvantaged students who lack access to advanced coursework or other enrichment opportunities that would otherwise demonstrate their readiness for MIT.”
The SAT’s contribution in providing context for students with lower socioeconomic status (a status that revolves around students’ financial situation) backgrounds.
“Over the past few years, colleges have noticed that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were opting not to send in their test scores when it may have helped to submit them,” IvyWise admissions counselor Robin Miller said. “Those students’ scores could provide more context about (their) high school environment.”
For students who may not have scored particularly well on a national level, a score that is well above the students’ school’s/class average aids in helping students stand out during college admissions, while also showcasing the school’s academic circumstances/context.
According to Forbes, many admissions officers are seeing the SAT as a way to differentiate applicants, especially with “an abundance of GPA scales surrounding 4.0.”
“Admissions officers need a way to go beyond grades to assess a student’s academic potential,” Forbes said.
Yet, most universities cite “student readiness” as the foremost concern and reason for bringing back the SAT.
According to Harvard, recent research on the SAT predicting college and post-college success has pushed them to bring back the SAT.
Schools, like Dartmouth, conducting their own studies feel that testing will not “detract” from bringing “promising” studetns to their campus.