Wake’s SAT change is less than it seems
My column today:
Wake Forest drew national attention — and applause — last week for what was hailed as a bold step.
It became the first Top 30 university to make SAT/ACT scores optional for admission.
My first reaction was negative. But, the more I reflect, the more I think there’s less here than meets the eye. ...
Wake Forest outlined its reasons in a news release sprinkled with hedge words:
“ 'While many top-tier universities are increasing their reliance on standardized testing in the admissions process, recent research suggests that standardized tests are not valuable predictors of college success,’ said Wake Forest Provost Jill Tiefenthaler, the university’s chief academic officer, whose office oversees admissions.
“Some studies indicate performance on the SAT is closely linked to family income and education level, while others suggest a possible testing bias against certain minority students.”
Some studies ... suggest ... possible testing bias ... certain minority students. ...
It all sounds hazy.
The fact is that one minority group, Asian Americans, posts the highest SAT scores ... suggesting a bias in their favor?
Much more assertive was Joseph Soares, associate professor of sociology, who wrote in an accompanying article: “SAT 'not required’ admissions will give us greater social diversity and academically stronger students.”
In an interview Monday, I asked Martha Allman, director of admissions, whether she believes he’s right.
“That’s certainly what we hope happens,” she said.
Significantly, she also said: “We’re not expecting this to be a huge sea change.”
For starters, athletes — who make up about 10 percent of the student body — still have to submit SATs to comply with NCAA eligibility standards.
Most other applicants also will continue to submit SAT scores (or results from its sister test, the ACT). Why? Most Wake applicants have very good scores, which they expect to count as an advantage.
Whether they will seems to be a tricky proposition.
“We’ve always taken into consideration anything a student submits,” Allman said.
But it raises a conundrum: If submitting a high SAT score helps one applicant, won’t not submitting a (presumably) low score hurt another?
“I think it’s going to make the process more competitive,” Allman said, not really addressing the question.
But then, Wake says it hasn’t put that much weight on SAT scores anyway.
“High school curriculum and classroom performance combined with the student’s writing ability, extracurricular activities and evidence of character and talent will remain the most important criteria for admission,” its news release stated.
Wake also will encourage applicants to come for personal interviews with admissions officers, Allman said.
This adds to a long-running debate about the value of standardized tests. The SAT attempts to objectively measure students from one high school to another, where quality of instruction and grading scales vary widely.
“The SAT was created to level the playing field,” Allman said. “In reality, it doesn’t at all.”
Yet Wake still requires standardized tests for admission to its graduate programs — the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MSAT. All have been subjected to bias claims. Nevertheless, the university apparently sees merit in applying the same yardstick to grad-school applicants from different colleges.
At the undergraduate level, Wake Forest wants to raise its minority enrollment from the current level of “17 percent students of color,” Allman said, and increase economic diversity. There are no numerical goals, she added.
By making a loud statement in the SAT discussion, Wake might draw more applicants whose low scores would have deterred them before. Will some be “academically stronger” students? By some measures, probably. Surely Allman and her staff already find their share.
I also suspect they’ll see as many well-qualified applicants boasting high SAT scores as ever — and they’ll accept just about as many.
This isn’t as bold a step as advertised.
Call me at 373-7039. E-mail me at dgclark@news-record.com
Or, just post a comment here.
Comments (8)
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The competition for minority students tightens up -
The N&R recently reported that, beginning in the fall of 2009, entrance requirements at NC A&T, WSSU, UNC-Pembroke, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, & NC Central (The Alma Mater of Crystal Gail Mangum) will be RAISED to a high school GPA of 2.0 and a SAT score of 700.
Looks as if things are really getting tuff -
Posted on June 4, 2008 7:18 AM
I agree the move is not a big step. The decision places a lot of pressure on the admissions committee members to somehow not look more favorably on a student who submits a high SAT score than on one who submits a low SAT score or none at all (presumably because his or her score was low).
As far as Wake's language concerning minority students is concerned, I think they meant to say that there's bias against certain socio-economic groups, which often means certain minority groups. Obviously, they're not talking about Asian-Americans.
Posted on June 4, 2008 7:53 AM
Most students with high SATs also have strong high school records. I don't think that necessarily works the other way around, that most students with good high school grades have high SATs (grade inflation is rampant). Wake will find it difficult, I believe, to reject many applicants who have high SATS.
Wake isn't talking about Asian-Americans when referring to "certain minority groups"; however, Wake does count Asian-Americans among its 17 percent "students of color." A significant number of Asian-Americans, as a matter of fact.
Posted on June 4, 2008 8:21 AM
This is another example of institutions bowing to the pressure to be politically correct. The federal government dropped its standardized tests for hiring years ago, and now hires anyone and everyone who meets the undefined criteria which gives it the correct diversity profile. Before long we will just hold dance contests-the ultimate in subjectivity- to decide who to hire, to accept into our schools, etc. That way, no one has a basis for lawsuits aginst wrongful hires, admissions, etc. because there will be no objective standards. Standardized tests were devised to provide definitive criteria for decision making and promote fairness. Now that the same tests can deter what has become politically correct, the tests will go the way of dinosaurs.
Posted on June 4, 2008 8:35 AM
I think the question is whether the SAT is a good predictor of whether a student will do well in college. As a business, Wake Forest's primary objective is to admit students who will succeed. The SAT has been demonstrated to have several biases that, in the university's opinion, prevent some students who will succeed from being admitted.
Posted on June 4, 2008 10:54 AM
Jason,
I disagree that the SAT has been demonstrated to have biases. As I pointed out, Wake Forest was very careful in how it worded its concerns about its "possible testing bias against certain minority students." Demonstrated differences do not prove bias.
I would agree that the SAT is far from flawless in its ability to predict college performance. High school record may be better, as long as the student took challenging courses. We often hear allegations of bias in that regard, too: certain minority students being excluded from advanced classes. There may be more basis for concern there.
Wake expressed concern that the SAT is too closely associated with family income. Penn State examined the six-year graduation rates for more than 11,000 of its students to determine what factors were most strongly associated with graduation. The results --
http://www.psu.edu/president/pia/planning_research/reports/neair2006.pdf
show that higher family income is associated with higher grad rates. So is high school class rank, gender (females have better grad rates) and things like living on campus as opposed to off. SAT scores: not so much, validating Wake's position on that score.
Maybe someone has studied the link between family income and high school class rank. I'd guess there's a strong association.
I personally believe that children can be nurtured to perform well academically and on measurements like the SAT. Morgan Glover's story Sunday about the Project Bright Idea program shows how. At Murphey Traditional Academy, K-2 students are exposed to reading and math instruction usually offered in grades 4-5. They're taught critical-thinking skills.
Children will respond to challenges. I think if you read real literature to very young children and engage them in learning games involving numbers and other advanced exercises, their brains will respond and you'll see the results years later on SAT and other tests of that kind.
That doesn't mean they won't become slackers when they get to college.
Posted on June 4, 2008 11:37 AM
Define "significant" when referring to Wake's Asian-American population.
Posted on June 4, 2008 4:38 PM
They are significant as a share of the "students of color" population -- more than 30 percent, according to info on this Web site:
http://www.stateuniversity.com/universities/NC/Wake_Forest_University.html
This counts grad and undergrad enrollment.
Posted on June 4, 2008 4:56 PM