Are Standardized Tests Still Important in College Admissions?

How important are standardized tests for college entrance? Can I raise my scores with more preparation? Should I take the ACT as well as the SAT—or even in place of the SAT? These questions become important as our students approach their 11th grade year.

Yes, these tests are still very important and likely will be for some time; however, views on the type of test differ significantly. 

The National Center for Fair and Open Testing is an organization devoted to getting plain-spoken information out to parents and schools about the testing arena (the Fair Test site is linked to your child’s Naviance page). It is a great resource and I recommend you check it out. On the site, you will find answers to many common questions about testing.

You can also find a live list of the 300+ schools and universities that have now made any sort of standardized testing optional for admission. There are lots of small colleges looking for students, of course, but the list may surprise you. Schools popular with Darlington graduates, such as Wake Forest, Rollins, American University and the University of Mississippi at Oxford, are actually among the institutions that have made testing optional—and the list is growing every year.

Additionally, the SAT itself is undergoing significant change. Click here to read an article published by Inside Higher Ed for a full discussion of the pending changes. 

My next blog will deal specifically with the changes being made, and with the advantages of taking the ACT in addition to, or instead of, the SAT.