World News

Cameron Ericksen ‘28

By Cameron Ericksen ‘28 in Spring 2025

Can a single test determine a student's academic potential, or do the SAT and ACT simply measure someone's privilege? Studies have shown that SAT scores correlate more with a test taker's family’s income and race than their academic potential. There are critics that believe that the tests favor people who are wealthy (and, due to systemic racism, primarily white) because they can afford tutors and a significant amount of preparation before taking them. Recently, there have been some schools that have reinstated the requirement of SAT and ACT scores since they were shut down during the global pandemic. They argue that test scores are a good indicator of a student's capabilities, especially those who come from less privileged backgrounds. However, many experts are advocating for a change in the admissions process. They say that it would be more fair if it focused more on factors like GPA. Additionally, many people believe that there should be less focus on elite private colleges like The Ivies. Public universities and community colleges have historically been underfunded, and if they had more resources, a more equitable academic system could potentially be created. By shifting focus away from standardized testing and elite universities, many believe we could build a more equitable higher education system.