In Summer Wong's op-ed article, published in the University of California, Irvine's Official Campus Newspaper, she explains why she believes that the ACT/SAT should remain in college applications.
According to Wong, standardized testing is a simple and effective way for colleges to gain a holistic view of what an applicant has learned throughout their entire educational journey and that they are meant to measure general academic ability and to serve as a uniform standard to judge applicants. Moreover, Wong claims, the SAT and ACT are also fairly accurate ways to judge an applicant’s GPA and the strength of the applicant’s curriculum throughout high school. If a student scores a 2400 on the SAT but has a low GPA, admission officers will be able to infer that the classes taken were challenging. At the same time, if someone receives a low score on the SAT and has a high GPA, admission officers can infer that the classes taken might have not been an accurate reflection of the applicant’s knowledge of the subjects. Thus, the SAT is an effective tool to compare students from different high schools across the United States, and to also compare students within the same high school.
Despite the fact that some people argue that economic status plays a big part in students preparation and readiness for the exams, Wong argues that the studying and the rigorous courses students take throughout high school is much more helpful than any prep school out there. The academic course load of Honors, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes is sufficient to prepare for these standardized tests. Wong cites Jo Craven McGinty of The Wall Street Journal, “The best preparation (…) is to have paid attention in school, studied hard and learned the material”.
Another point Wong makes is that schools across the United States do not have the same GPA system. Some schools subscribe to a weighted GPA system, while others do not. In addition, the point system varies — some high schools set their maximum GPA at 5.0, while others use 4.0 or less. The use of standardized testing helps admission officers understand an applicant’s GPA and bridge the gap between the myriad of different systems.
According to Wong and the research that she cites, the SAT and ACT are well-constructed exams that accurately reflect what students have learned throughout high school. These tests examine deductive skills, critical thinking and general high school knowledge. And while the SAT and ACT do not make up an entire college application, they are needed for the application process.
Here is my letter in response to Summer Wong's article:
Rebuttal
Dear Ms. Wong, Thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions about the role standardized tests play in the college admissions process in your article, “The SAT/ACT Should Remain in College Applications”. I, too, am very concerned about the part that the ACT/SAT play in college admissions, but I have been conflicted with my stance on the issue. I am happy to have read your article and heard your opinions as they have provided me with a deeper understanding of the issue, and given me a lot to think about. Your article provides some very good arguments as to why standardized tests should remain a vital part of the college admissions process. I appreciate the fact that you incorporated the example of Hampshire College, a school that has already taken the route of becoming test optional, into your essay. I liked how you provided direct quotes from the president of Hampshire College and statistical evidence of the results of student enrollment after the university adopted a test optional policy. I appreciate that, while your evidence showed positive changes, your counterarguments explained that there are many things wrong with this policy. I agree that colleges need a common playing field in order to fairly evaluate students and that standardized tests help provide a “holistic view” of applicants. I also agree that standardized tests are only one of many factors in the college admissions decision. These are two strong points as to why standardized tests should remain in the college admissions process. Since your article has enlightened me on the benefits of standardized tests, and why they are necessary, I, as someone that holds a different stance on the issue, hope to share with you my perspective in hopes that we can learn from one another, and find a common ground. Firstly, do these exams accurately reflect what students have learned throughout high school? Students gather and display many skills that they obtain through the schooling process, both cognitive and non-cognitive, however, the ACT/SAT only test a few. Also, are courses in high schools really the best way for students to prepare for standardized tests? High School courses focus on a variety of material, while ACT/SAT preparation courses and tutors focus solely on the material and nuances of the test. As someone who has recently gone through the testing process, I know that I learned most of my test taking strategies through my ACT prep, rather than my courses in high school. There is also the issue of bias. It has been proven in studies that minorities and lower income students who do not have access to private tutors or review classes are at a disadvantage when it comes to the tests. Clearly, people who hold different views on the role that standardized tests should play in college admissions have a lot to learn from one another. I am very happy to have read your article and I hope that you can understand my point of view more after reading this letter. Thank you for enlightening me on your perspective. Sincerely, Emma Rosenberg