Higher education in the USA is changing the approach to SAT and ACT tests

SAT and ACT - two standardized tests that were once required for admission to a US college or university - are increasingly being replaced by other standardized tests or are no longer at allbe mandatory, especially for foreign applicants. Of the 500 institutes with four years of study that accept international students, just over half still adhere to standardized tests.

Flexible tests in the US

An increasing number of institutions are becoming "test flexible" - requiring some official test, but not requiredstandard ACT or SAT. Some even said that now their tests are optional, that is, they do not need to provide any standardized test, except for the one that confirms the student's level of English.

ACAC's International University Admissions Conference, which took place this month in New Jersey, brought together professionals from both schools and universities. And they discussed the changing role of standardized tests in the application review process.

New York University, which has the largest international enrollment rate in the United States, adopted a more flexible approach to testing in 2010. Bobbe Fernando, Associate Dean and Director ofadmitting international students, said the decision to increase the number of tests that count towards admission was prompted by a desire to recognize the academic success of international students who did not have access or the ability to prepare for traditional US tests.

“We wanted to attract the attention of various students to our campus in Abu Dhabi,” explained Ms. Fernando, and also noted that the composition of students on overseas campuses differs both by country and byfinancial situation. This decision also provided more choices for applicants entering the New York City campus.She added that “this decision has partially contributed to the increase in the number of our international students from 13 to 22% forsix years".

What other tests are accepted by applicants

Results of other tests that NYU accepts include: French French Baccalaureate, InternationalInternational Baccalaureate, Indian Standard XII, Australian ATAR and UK A-levels.

NYU benefits from a global network of offices that can provide insight into high school academic standards. But small universities also decided to be flexible in the tests, relying on the results of the applicant in the preparatory courses, on the disciplines passed and on extracurricular activities - as indicators of the ability of the future student or female student to study at their institution.

What the selection committee pays attention to

“We try to get a complete picture of the applicant in 20-30 minutes. There are several factors that drive admissions, ”said Jonathan Burdick, dean of college admissions and vice rector for admissions at the University of Rochester, Shatata New York, who is also test-agile and has about 1,100 international students.students.

“We become more objective when we know what the test results tell us,” said Mr. Burdick, citing as an example that “African students from southern Sahara perform much stronger thanthan you can type in tests". Wesleyan University in Connecticut, which admits 230 international students (representing 8% of their total student population), has decided to make tests optional and does not require any test results other than the English proficiency test.

“The focus of our assessment of applicants is on the daily study,” said Tara Lindros, Assistant Dean of the Admissions Office. When the SAT was redesigned, the university decided to change its approach to testing and stopped requiring applicants, if they did not want to, the results of any standardized tests.

“We wanted the students to use theirtime, energy and money are different outside the industry of these tests,” she adds. For applicants from China, it is not necessary to provide test results for many years. “We are somehow not very comfortable demanding tests from students from a country where they simply could not pass them,” explains Miss Lindros.

Waiver of compulsory SAT and ACT

“Waiver of compulsory SAT or ACT is a welcome relief for both parents and applicants,who are already under stress during the admissions campaign,” says Sheri Neal, counselor at the American School of Japan.And he adds: “Flexibility on tests allows students to show what they really can - high test scores can counterbalance a low GPA and vice versa. The new approach allows us to discern the personal qualities of the applicants. "

Despite changing attitudes towards standardized tests, of the 500 institutes with four years of study that accept international students, just over half still require standardized test scores. And, according to the College Board website, two-thirds of international students will submit their SAT scores along with their questionnaires.

Based on materials from The PIE News.