POV: The SAT Is Going Digital, but Is That Really the Change We Need to See?
Photo by iStock/Oksana Dolgikh
POV: The SAT Is Going Digital, but Is That Really the Change We Need to See?
It remains to be seen if the College Board can reinvent itself in our new test-optional and test-blind reality
On January 25, the College Board announced the launch of their new “student-friendly” digital SAT. Coincidentally, later that day, I attended College Night for the Class of 2023 at Boston Latin School, where my son is a high school junior. Over the course of the evening, admissions directors from three selective institutions gave parents and guardians the details on what their teams look for when making admissions decisions, from grades to extracurricular activities and standardized test scores.
So, how much of a role do standardized tests like the SAT play in the overall admissions decision for undergraduate admissions to these selective institutions, all of which are currently test-optional? According to these folks, not very much. It is one optional element of a portfolio of activities, awards, etc., that applicants have at their disposal when completing their college applications. These admissions folks spent more time talking about the required essays and the importance of showing that you have the persistence and ability to take on and complete difficult tasks.
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted much of this, including the delivery of the SAT. My son and his classmates were in their first year of high school when the pandemic hit and it looks like it will still be with us when they graduate in June 2023. They missed out on over a year of time creating memories together, and for many of them and their families, the priority is on making up for lost time by building relationships and growing up. As we know, the mental health of our children and young people has taken a hit. From this perspective, it’s hard to see how spending time preparing for the SAT feels relevant in their lives.
However, the test-taking business is big business. Recent estimates put it at a $4.5 billion industry. Students and their families pay for online test prep, tutors, and the tests themselves. When institutions go test-optional, an entire sector is left to figure out how to reinvent itself and make itself relevant. This is what the College Board is trying to do now. Instead of reinventing the SAT to meet the needs of 21st-century college admissions counselors, high school guidance counselors, students, and their families and guardians, it seems that they have doubled down on making what they refer to as “more student-friendly changes,” with a digital SAT that is easier to deliver and easier to take, rather than more relevant.
While over 80 percent of our colleges and universities are currently test-optional, a trend accelerated during the pandemic, some have gone one step further, implementing test-blind policies. These institutions—most notably the entire University of California system—will not accept test scores as part of a student’s application to their undergraduate programs.
Critics of standardized tests like the SAT believe that test-optional and test-blind policies are here to stay, and they only see this trend increasing. FairTest executive director Bob Schaeffer highlights the benefits of this move: “Schools that did not require standardized exam score submission for fall 2021 admission—current first-year undergraduates—generally received more applicants, better academically qualified applicants, and more diverse pools of applicants. With such positive results, there’s no rational reason to restore test-score requirements.”
This comes at a time of declining birth rates, when our institutions are competing for a decreasing number of 18-year-olds. Many institutions have already implemented changes to reduce barriers to application, and higher education may soon be at a point when students choose where to apply based on test-optional or test-blind policies.
My colleague, Joshua Goodman, Wheelock College of Education & Human Development associate professor of education and economics, has written about the racialized patterns of standardized test taking, especially as they relate to the practice of repeat testing. Black and Latinx test takers are more likely to be “one and done,” whereas white and Asian test takers are more likely to take these tests multiple times. When adding up the amount of time students have dedicated to test prep courses, meeting with tutors, and sitting for multiple tests, the commitment does match the level of some extracurriculars, potentially replacing participation time in enrichment activities like basketball, a school play, or the debate club.
This all begs the question: how does a standardized test help students tell the multifaceted stories of who they are today and highlight the promise and potential of who they might become tomorrow? Institutions that have gone test-blind have already decided that the SAT is no longer part of the equation. It remains to be seen if the College Board will be able to reinvent itself in our new test-optional and test-blind reality.
Mary L. Churchill is BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development associate dean for strategic initiatives and community engagement and director of Wheelock’s Higher Education Administration program. She can be reached at machurch@bu.edu.
“POV” is an opinion page that provides timely commentaries from students, faculty, and staff on a variety of issues: on-campus, local, state, national, or international. Anyone interested in submitting a piece, which should be about 700 words long, should contact John O’Rourke at orourkej@bu.edu. BU Today reserves the right to reject or edit submissions. The views expressed are solely those of the author and are not intended to represent the views of Boston University.
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