Most major educational systems utilize some sort of standardized test for University Admissions. The importance of these tests varies between countries. A-Level results almost solely determine University Admission in the United Kingdom, while results of the American SAT test, while important, tend to be less valued than secondary school grade point averages (GPA) and supplementary activities and involvement.
The SAT has an interesting history. It was first introduced in the 1930s in an effort to reduce socio-economic discrimination in admissions. The then President of Harvard University, James Bryan Conant, having discovered that a number of seemingly qualified working-class applicants were being rejected in favour of less qualified students from wealthier background, pushed for the introduction of aptitude tests for undergraduate admissions.[1] This then provided an objective measurement against which the behaviour of the Admissions Office could be measured.
Conant’s campaign was eventually successful, with nearly every institution in the United States adopting either the SAT or the ACT test for admissions. Ironically however, the SAT subsequently came under attack for discriminating against the very groups Conant wished to help.
A number of studies have shown that low-income and minority students perform far less well on low-income and minority students perform far less well on the exam than white or affluent students. A diminished effect is noticeable on racial lines even when the data is corrected for income.
Furthermore, the importance of the SAT has led to the growth of a large industry dedicated to providing tutoring and test preparation services to prospective test-takers. The fact that many American students will pay thousands of dollars on test preparation can be seen as evidence that the test favours the wealthy.[2]
These criticisms have become more pressing as a number of countries as well as US States have introduced similar tests for graduation from secondary school. In addition to the above criticisms it has also been suggested that they encourage schools to “teach to the test” rather than focus on the installation of pure knowledge.
As a consequence of these criticisms a number of institutions, such as Smith College and Wake Forest University, have abandoned SATs wholesale in their admissions, or made the tests optional.[3]
Most major educational systems utilize some sort of standardized test for University Admissions. The importance of these tests varies between countries. A-Level results almost solely determine University Admission in the United Kingdom, while results of the American SAT test, while important, tend to be less valued than secondary school grade point averages (GPA) and supplementary activities and involvement.
The SAT has an interesting history. It was first introduced in the 1930s in an effort to reduce socio-economic discrimination in admissions. The then President of Harvard University, James Bryan Conant, having discovered that a number of seemingly qualified working-class applicants were being rejected in favour of less qualified students from wealthier background, pushed for the introduction of aptitude tests for undergraduate admissions.[1] This then provided an objective measurement against which the behaviour of the Admissions Office could be measured.
Conant’s campaign was eventually successful, with nearly every institution in the United States adopting either the SAT or the ACT test for admissions. Ironically however, the SAT subsequently came under attack for discriminating against the very groups Conant wished to help.
A number of studies have shown that low-income and minority students perform far less well on low-income and minority students perform far less well on the exam than white or affluent students. A diminished effect is noticeable on racial lines even when the data is corrected for income.
Furthermore, the importance of the SAT has led to the growth of a large industry dedicated to providing tutoring and test preparation services to prospective test-takers. The fact that many American students will pay thousands of dollars on test preparation can be seen as evidence that the test favours the wealthy.[2]
These criticisms have become more pressing as a number of countries as well as US States have introduced similar tests for graduation from secondary school. In addition to the above criticisms it has also been suggested that they encourage schools to “teach to the test” rather than focus on the installation of pure knowledge.
As a consequence of these criticisms a number of institutions, such as Smith College and Wake Forest University, have abandoned SATs wholesale in their admissions, or made the tests optional.[3]
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