It is now November. For seniors at NPHS, this is currently the most stressful time of their lives. As most normal application deadlines are in December, seniors will be working hard over the next month to perfect their applications to get into the college/s they desire. For juniors at NPHS, the stress is at a lower lever, but still present. Over the coming year, most juniors will be taking their SATs and/or ACTS in preparation for what is to come as a senior. Historically, standardized tests such as the SAT and the ACT have been a fundamental component of one’s college application, but can the same be said for today?

A majority of colleges have eliminated standardized testing as a requirement for 2020 applicants,  but many more are making a move away from the use of standardized testing in general as a tool to evaluate applicants. And do not think that the scope of this move is small – a wide variety of schools are taking part. Here are a few top schools that have made the move:

• Cornell University
• University of Chicago
• New York University
• Drexel University
• American University
• University of Texas – Austin
• University of California at Los Angeles

At NPHS, what value do students place in their standardized test scores? According to school counselors Ms. McCauley : “I do believe that some students think their test score is a fundamental part of their applications. Especially for those who score very well on their SAT/ACT.”

Mrs. Shadis, Head of Counseling at NPHS, says: “I do believe some students rely on test scores to boost their application package, but really, most colleges weigh the transcript more heavily. I think students put more emphasis on testing than perhaps they should in the process” 

From the words of NPHS’s guidance counselors, test scores are viewed by many students as a fundamental aspect of their applications. And as Mrs. Shadis states, perhaps it should not be so. Students should not be placing so much emphasis on standardized testing. For applicants who choose not to submit standardized test scores, colleges look at other elements of their application instead. In particular, they look heavily upon the student’s academic record in high school, checking if the student took on challenging classes and performed well in them. 

The world seems to be against the role of standardized testing in college applications. The move away from test scores in applications has been going on for multiple years, but recent circumstances have pushed the movement further. With the lock down earlier in the year and continued restrictions and fears from COVID-19, students all around the nation have been handicapped in their access to take standardized tests.

Students in NPHS are not exempt from this issue.

“I do not feel that the NPHS seniors have had sufficient opportunities to take an SAT or ACT”, Ms. McCauley says. In fact, 34% of current seniors do not have an SAT or ACT score.

In light of this issue, colleges normally requiring standardized testing have become test optional for applicants in the fall of 2020, and colleges that have already been test optional have extended to entirely ignore test scores for applicants in the fall of 2020.

Despite all of this and the moves away from SATs/ACTs in the college admission process, NPHS is likely to continue administering the PSATs annually for students. So what is the take away from this article? While standardized tests still have their place in college admissions, you should rethink your approach to your application, and as always, work hard in school! Because your transcript will only have more value in the future.