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How important are college rankings?

March 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment

As the days of winter fade, many students will dig out one or more of the college rankings publications they acquired last autumn and pore over them again looking for “the revelation.” This reliably consistent tradition was the topic of a recent commentary called, “College Rankings Fail”, that appeared in the University of Maryland’s independent student newspaper. The student author, Marc Priester, took direct aim at college rankings as a whole. As he pointed out,

“Our current obsessions with prestige and rankings border on fetishism…. There is a sad waltz between college rankings and how we value education. It compels individuals to irrationally worship universities, leading to the foolish economic decision to attend exorbitantly priced colleges because of the ‘promise’ [: the promise of the upper middle class, the pipe-dream future we’ve been fed since before we could even spell ‘Harvard’].”

Mr. Priester further attributes blame to the media, with whom students and parents have become willing partners. While I would not use the term “fetishism”, I do credit Mr. Priester for his astute recognition of college rankings as authoritative. And, although the remainder of Mr. Priester’s quote is consistent with the spirit of his message, I feel it does divert attention from the overarching point he was making; i.e., that college rankings are inherently misleading and as such can lead to poor decision making.

A case in point is the media frenzy initiated each year by the various college rankings publication releases, with the U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges issue being the most recognizable. College administrators and admissions officers criticize and debate U.S. News for attempting to do the impossible: determine unequivocally who is Number One, or Number Ten, or Number 75. Unfortunately, some students and parents miss these criticisms.

Kiplinger recently released Best Values in Public Colleges for 2013, and the corresponding, Best Values in Private Colleges for 2013. The rankings publication claims that its methodology measures “value,” but that term is just as subjective as the term “best” used by US News. Each student has a unique system of values, which cannot be standardized.

There is one factor in Kiplinger’s ranking formula that could easily be misinterpreted. In acknowledging that an institution that graduates its students within the traditional 4-year timeframe saves them tuition dollars, the reality is that there are numerous legitimate factors that delay graduation for many students beyond the four years after which they began their studies. Georgia Tech, for instance, has a 4-year graduation rate of only 31 percent. What Kiplinger fails to note is that a significant portion of the Georgia Tech student body is enrolled in the co-op program where full-time study and full-time placement at a paying internship occur in alternating semesters. The end result is graduation delayed into a fifth or even a sixth year, but with considerably more real-life experience than most programs offer. In this context, Georgia Tech’s 4-year graduation rate clearly misrepresents the quality of its overall academic experience.

The all-encompassing point being made here is that “value,” in economic terms, is just one of the many dimensions of the college selection process. Where students choose to prepare for their future and how much their family is willing to pay for it is a complex, at times an intensely emotional, and let us not forget, singularly courageous decision.

Joseph Prieto, National Association for College Admissions Counseling

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AP Classes…Can There Be Too Much of a Good Thing?

October 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Do stacked schedules and a half-dozen exams offer an easy road to the elite institutions, or is that a recipe for student stress?

If you read the Boston Globe, then chances are you’ve heard the story of Claire Huang, the Lexington High senior who could graduate next spring with perfect scores on 10 advanced placement exams. The plan, Huang told the Globe, is for her AP classes to provide an edge when it comes to earning admittance in an elite college or university.

And if you live in Lexington, or Concord, or any of a number of leafy suburbs outside Boston, then chances are that if you don’t know Claire, you know probably know six students like her.

While many high performing school districts like Lexington have opted out of the Race to the Top federal education initiative, many students in towns like this are stacking their schedules in their own race to the top – of their class and, they hope, of the applicant pool for choice colleges and universities.

In recent years, however, the spotlight has shifted to student stress and there has been a bit of pushback against kids overloading schedules and taking as many AP exams as they think they can ace.

Last spring in Lexington, parents, students and educators held a facilitated community conversation about student stress, which followed screenings of the film ”Race to Nowhere.”

“We’re in a dangerous place and we all have a part in that,” said Laura Lasa, who is now the principal at Lexington High School, but who acted as moderator that night last May. “And it’s time to keep the discussions going, but it’s also time to start doing.”

It’s not just a public school thing. Concord Academy has eliminated all AP courses, replacing them with “Advanced Curriculum” courses that are more project-based, according to the Globe. Concord Academy does still offer AP exams, which can in some cases alleviate a student’s requirements once he or she gets into college.

“Taking eight AP classes your senior year instead of taking six AP classes is not going to make a difference to an admissions officer,” Peter Jennings, the director of college counseling at Concord Academy and a former Tufts admissions officer, told the Globe. “They’re much more interested in the life of the mind and the quality of the work that students are doing. I think that message gets distorted, and that creates the AP mania.”

By Patrick Ball, Patch.com

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Chyten featured in ‘The Life in Biltmore Park’

December 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Chyten was featured in the January 2012 edition of ‘The Life in Biltmore Park’ magazine.

What is Chyten?
Chyten is a tutoring and test preparation company that originated in Boston. The company’s founder, Neil Chyten, was a tutor for many of the Harvard professors’ children, and he began opening centers where highly motivated students could be taken to the next level. Currently, there are 40 Chyten centers across the country, including 4 in North Carolina. Our specialty is one-on-one, private tutoring, using proprietary techniques to teach our amazing test-taking strategies for the ACT and SAT.

Where did you grow up? How long have you lived in the area?
My name is Stacey Caskey. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Brooklyn College and Queens College. A National Board-certified educator, I taught in the NYC school system for eleven years before moving to Asheville in 2001. I taught at Claxton Elementary from 2001-2010 and am now the educational director and co-owner of Chyten Tutors and Test Prep. My husband, Brian, grew up in DeLand, Florida, where he earned his degree in Biology from Stetson University. Our daughter, Allison, is a third grader at Bell Elementary.

Brian and Stacey Caskey

Brian and Stacey Caskey

What interested you in opening a tutoring and test prep center?
Throughout the years, there were many times when a parent would ask me where they could supplement their child’s education; and really, there were no outstanding local options. Asheville has had a need for educational services that remediate, enrich, and allow a child to achieve academic success. Chyten’s philosophy helps students excel, as well as to get into the colleges of their dreams.

What makes Chyten different?
At Chyten, we firmly believe that tutoring leads to achievement. We also believe that parent involvement is crucial, which is why parents have real-time, online access to the tutor’s session notes and are part of the dialogue. At Chyten, we require our tutors to possess at least a Master’s degree! When you bring your child to work with one of our tutors, they have been matched with an expert.

Why are college admissions tests, like the ACT and SAT, so important?
College admissions are much more competitive now. In 2010, Harvard accepted only 6% of their applicants, Stanford 7%, Duke 14%, and UNC 29%. What does that mean for your student? Excellent ACT and SAT scores are needed before students will even be considered by a college admissions committee. Grades, extracurriculars, and class ranking remain important, but test scores make a very important first impression.

What does Chyten offer to academically gifted students?
With budget cuts in our schools, students are receiving less and less AIG services. Having taught the gifted program in New York for many years, I realize the importance of constantly challenging bright students. Many gifted students are bored in the classroom and struggle to maintain intellectual curiosity. At Chyten, we offer enrichment programs for students to keep them at the top of their game. Our E.N.R.I.C.H. program is taught by a certified AIG specialist, and teaches students to synthesize knowledge and inquiry.

Given your educational expertise, what advice can you offer to residents?
The best gift you can bestow upon your child is the opportunity to excel. Better test scores and grades will open doors to experiences that previously seemed out of reach. Younger students gain self-confidence and self-esteem when they perform well in school.

Pre-learning is not a new concept. When students are introduced to upcoming school topics beforehand, especially at the AP or Honors level, they excel. They enter the classroom prepared and confident. Chyten works extensively with local principals, teachers and curriculum experts to keep your child a few steps ahead at all times.

The best and most important advice I can offer to parents is to be proactive in their child’s education, and to always expect academic success.

We invite our Asheville neighbors to stop in at our state-of-the-art educational center, take a look around, have a cup of coffee, and talk to us about their child’s academic needs.

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North Carolina school systems will require high school juniors to take the ACT exam

October 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment
BY LYNN BONNER, Raleigh News & Observer

A new era of public school testing begins in March when high school students will take national exams to determine how well their education is preparing them for life after graduation.

The state Board of Education has been talking for more than a year about requiring high school juniors to take a college entrance exam called the ACT, and having younger students take precursor tests. The board has faced a series of questions and hurdles, and as recently as a few months ago did not know whether the state Department of Public Instruction could afford to move ahead with the plan.

DPI has scraped together $5.5 million, enough to offer the ACT to juniors, the run-up test to sophomores and a standardized test for students who have completed a sequence of career and technical education courses, state Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson said Tuesday.

 

The state has asked the U.S. Department of Education for permission not to give the sophomore writing test, Atkinson said. Cancelling that test would let the state put $1.8 million toward the ACT.

DPI has assurances from the state budget office that it can use up to $5.5 million in reversions – money that state agencies didn’t spend last year – for the new testing program, the state superintendent said.

The company that produces the ACT offers a test for eighth graders that the Board of Education wanted to use, but the department can’t afford it this year, Atkinson said.

Legislators eliminated four end-of-course state tests this year – U.S. history, civics and economics, algebra II, and physical science – saying that teachers were teaching to the tests and that the results were useless in determining how North Carolina students compared to their peers in other states and around the world.

Legislators like the plan to give students the ACT, which consists of English, math, science, reading and an optional writing test.

“It’s better than what we had,” said Sen. Jerry Tillman, an Archdale Republican and a co-chairman of the legislative education oversight committee that heard Atkinson’s report. “What we had wasn’t comparing us with anybody except county to county.”

The test results will be used to show whether students are ready for college, community college and work, and how well their schools are preparing them.

Legislators are coming down hard on the millions community colleges spend on basic courses to prepare new students for college-level classes.

“This system will allow us to save money that is now being spent on remediation,” Atkinson said.

Lawmakers endorsed the ACT in this year’s budget, but did not give DPI any money to pay for it.

“We didn’t have the $6 million,” Tillman said. But legislators will find money for it in future budgets, he said.

Legislators questioned whether junior year was too late to know whether students have learned enough to succeed after graduation.

The State Board of Education had envisioned offering a summer academic boot camp for rising seniors who did not perform well on the ACT, but that idea has been pushed aside because there’s no money for it.

Atkinson said there is plenty schools can do for students who need help, such as setting up remedial programs that target areas of weakness, or directing students who need refresher courses to digital resources.

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Top 10 College Admissions Tips

October 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

According to U.S. Census figures released by the Pew Research Center last week, more kids than ever are clamoring to get through the doors of America’s colleges. About 11.5 million young adults—or nearly 40 percent of the nation’s 18 to 24 year olds—were enrolled in two- or four-year colleges as of October 2008 (the latest data available). Not surprisingly, these all-time highs, combined with the recession, have led some public schools, such as the bellwether Cal State system, to cap enrollments.

In addition to this, girls might face an even steeper uphill battle to be admitted to their first-choice school. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has launched a formal investigation into whether or not “liberal arts colleges discriminate among female applicants in an attempt to minimize gender imbalances in the student body,” according to an article posted this week on Inside Higher Ed.

What’s more, paying for college is tougher than ever, as tuitions push the boundaries of plausibility. In its annual report, the nonprofit College Board estimated that tuition and fees for the 2009-10 school year at a private, four-year university now average $26,273, a 4.4 percent increase from last year. Throw in room and board and you’re up to $35,636. Public schools are a better deal, of course, but that price tag is growing even faster—up 6 percent or more. Again, not surprisingly, financial-aid applications also hit a record high last year at many schools.

But here’s the good news: Smart applicants have more, better choices than ever. If they know where—and how—to look. So, with most early applications due this week, The Daily Beast went to the source. We asked dozens of college admissions officers across the country to go beyond the conventional wisdom and give their best tips for how to choose a college–and then get in.

1. Time the Mailing of Your Application Carefully
“Apply as early as possible. We read applications as soon as they come into our office. But we receive a huge number of applications on the actual deadline day, which can be overwhelming to us. It is detrimental to students, too. It really shows up in sloppy essays and writing samples and reporting on extracurricular activities. [Plus] with kids applying to more and more schools, it has gotten harder and harder for us to determine for what students Georgia Tech is their first choice. So applying earlier is one way to distinguish yourself. We think, ‘Wow, this kid applied early. They must really want to come.’” — Rick Clark, director of admissions, Georgia Tech

2. Use the “Pajama Test”
“Choose a school that takes you out of your comfort zone. Eleanor Roosevelt has a great quote: ‘Do something every day that scares you.’ [But] we have a tour guide who also asks a great question: ‘What is a school’s P factor? You know, ‘pajama factor’— can I get up in the morning, leave my pajama bottoms on and throw on a sweatshirt.’ It’s her way of saying find a school where you will be able to be yourself.” — Jenny Sawyer, executive director of admissions, University of Louisville

3. Keep C’s Off Your Transcript at Any Cost
“Admission officers talk about the importance of rigor in a student’s high-school program. When students ask, should I take an AP course and get a lower grade or take a lower level course and get an A, the cliché answer is: Students should take the AP course and get an A. Not very helpful! What we should be talking about is appropriate rigor. That is, if the student can take the AP course and get an A or B, then that’s appropriate. If the student will get a C or lower, then she should reconsider. Grades of Cs ‘pop’ on a transcript to selective colleges since we don’t see them often. That doesn’t mean that one C on a transcript will mean a student won’t get into college. What is does mean is that students shouldn’t over-challenge themselves.” — Debra Shaver, director of admission, Smith College

4. Visit the Campus—the School is Checking
“Visit campus. We take note of your visit and it’s the only way that you’ll know if a school is right for you.” — Julie Shimabukuro, director of undergraduate admissions, Washington University, St. Louis

5. Don’t Use the Economy as a Barometer
“The economy continues to have an impact on admission applications and decisions. Last year was certainly a little different in that many schools that would not normally go to their waitlists had to do so. But students and parents should not assume that this will happen again this year. It may play out the same, or because of the economy students may be more discerning regarding the number of schools they apply to.” — Terry Knaus, senior associate director of admissions, Indiana University, Bloomington

6. Have a Stranger Critique Your Essay
“Give your personal statement to a counselor or teacher who does not know you for critique. If you are writing about what makes you unique, special or interesting, ask your oldest and closest friends. They may be able to describe what makes you special better than you can.” — Mae Brown, assistant vice chancellor of admissions and registration services, University of California, San Diego

7. The “Perfect” Essay Is the Wrong Essay
“There are so many essays written about the winning goal, world peace, loving parents, reaching the top of the mountain, etc., that if you choose to write on one of these topics your essay must be perfect. It is important to think out of the box and really write about something that you know and have passion for—do not pick a topic that you think we want to read about. The purpose of the essay is to help the admissions committee fully understand the potential difference you can make in the class and how your background and experience will move the campus community forward.” — Douglas Christiansen, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions, Vanderbilt University

8. Make Sure the Teachers Show Up for Class
“The most important question to ask when considering an application or making an enrollment decision is this: What is the degree of attention paid by this school to the undergraduate educational experience? If superstar faculty members never cross the threshold of an undergraduate classroom, what will be the value to you? If research is valued more highly than quality teaching, and some faculty only do research or work with graduate students, what will be the value to you? You want to find a place where faculty are enthusiastic about teaching undergraduates, where they are accessible to students, and where they include them in their research. It takes some work to learn about the undergraduate teaching culture of a college, but it’s important to find out. This college will be your home for four years, and you want to know that it is focused on providing you the best possible opportunities to grow both intellectually and personally.” — John Mahoney, director of undergraduate admissions, Boston College

9. Don’t Put Too Much Stock in Brand Names
“Apply to colleges that you love, not because of their names or rankings or locations, but because they promote the learning and living culture that will challenge you, change you, delight you, and ultimately let you become yourself fully. The admissions decision is as much a journey of the head as it is the heart—let both organs speak to you and then translate what they say into your application.” — Jennifer Delahunty, dean of admissions and financial aid, Kenyon College

10. Lower the Stakes
“Don’t forget what you do in college is much more important than where you go to college.” — Philip A. Ballinger, director of undergraduate admissions, University of Washington, Seattle

Kathleen Kingsbury, The Daily Beast

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9 Testing Tips for College Applicants

June 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Peter Van Buskirk, US News

As the college application process picks up steam, no credential sparks more consternation among applicants than standardized testing. The following are tips for managing your test results as you apply for admission.

1. Consider your options: Review your testing experience to determine which scores (SAT, ACT, or both) you want to send to each school. Every college in the country now uses the SAT and the ACT interchangeably. Submit the set of results that puts you in the most competitive light.

2. Decide which tests you will take this fall: If you have already taken the SAT two times and are disappointed by the results, you might be facing a point of diminishing returns. Consider turning your attention to the ACT. Achieving a respectable score on the ACT means that admissions officers have options with regard to the test results they can use to rationalize offering you a place in their respective classes.

3. Consider waiting to see the results first: For tests taken this fall, you may want to wait until you have seen the results before deciding to have official score reports sent to colleges. This is an option afforded you through Score Choice by both testing agencies (College Board and ACT) in acknowledgement of the fact that you own the results and can control where they are sent. With Score Choice, you can choose, for a fee, the test results that are to be submitted to each college.

4. Keep the “superscore” in mind: At most colleges, admissions officers will look at the best combination of scores. If you have taken the SAT two to three times, your best Critical Reading score might have come on your third test while your best math score might have come on your second test. In order for colleges to pull results from different test administrations for a “superscore,” you will need to submit scores from each. The prevalence of “superscoring” makes Score Choice an unnecessary consideration at most colleges.

5. Arrange for test results to be sent directly to schools: Colleges strongly prefer to receive SAT and ACT test results directly from the testing services. Make arrangements with the appropriate testing service to have your results sent directly to the colleges to which you are applying. If you are electing the Score Choice option, you will need to designate the date(s) of the test administration(s) for which you want scores submitted.

6. Find out which colleges require SAT Subject Tests: Some will require specific tests while others simply indicate that you must submit a certain number of test results for subjects that you may choose.

7. Submit your college applications: Don’t hold off on submitting your applications for admission until you have all of the results from tests to be taken this fall or winter. You shouldn’t have to report actual scores on your applications. As long as you register with the testing service to have your scores sent to the colleges in question, the results of fall testing will be forwarded automatically to those colleges within two to three weeks.

8. Consider test-optional opportunities: Compare your results with the range of scores reported for each test-optional college. If your scores fall in the bottom 50 percent of the score ranges, logic would suggest that you elect not to submit your scores, as they will do nothing to enhance your application. A complete list of test-optional colleges can be found online at The National Center for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest).

9. Choose colleges at which your testing profile is a good fit: Remember, colleges are fond of reporting high scores for their entering classes. Target schools where your scores are in the top 25 percent of those reported for enrolled students—they will establish you as a viable candidate. The further your scores fall below the midpoint of the reported range of scores at a college, the less likely you will be admitted at that college.

See the full article at US News Education.

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Learn the Pros and Cons of SAT Score Choice

May 6, 2011 by Leave a Comment

SAT Score Choice

Learn the Pros and Cons of the SAT Score Choice Option

By

SAT Score Choice, according to the College Board, is meant to reduce student stress and make the test a more pleasant experience. There is some truth to this claim — it’s nice to know a bad score doesn’t need to create a scar on your college applications. College applicants, however, should consider all the pros and cons of the SAT Score Choice option before choosing it:

1. SAT Score Choice Can Reduce Exam Time Stress

At most colleges, the SAT (or ACT) is an important part of the application. A lot rides on the exam, so it’s easy to start panicking during the test if you don’t think it’s going well. With SAT Score Choice, at least you have the comfort of knowing that you can take the exam again and not report a set a bad scores (but see #5 for exceptions).

2. Score Choice Allows for Freshman and Sophomore Year Trial Runs

While I don’t encourage high school freshman and sophomores to take the SAT, Score Choice makes doing so carry fewer consequences. With the new policy, if students who are in their first years of high school want to take a trial run at the exam, they can do so with less worry that a low score will undermine their applications. Getting a set of scores early on can let students know how much test preparation might be necessary to get into their top choice colleges.

3. SAT Score Choice Can Cost You Money

Obviously if you take the SAT multiple times, you will need to pay for the exam each time. You will also find that the cost of reporting scores to colleges and scholarship programs goes up. When you take the SAT, you have nine days to select four recipients who will receive score reports at no cost to you. However, scores aren’t released until about 2 1/2 weeks after the exam. Thus, if you are going to hold back scores to take advantage of the SAT Score Choice option, you will lose your four free score reports.

4. At Some Colleges, SAT Score Choice Will Weaken Your Application

SAT Score Choice allows you to send all the scores from a single exam sitting. Let’s say you take the SAT twice with these results:

  • May: 570 Reading; 620 Math; 550 Writing (for 1740 combined)
  • Oct: 540 Reading; 650 Math; 580 Writing (for 1770 combined)

With Score Choice, you would send the October scores to colleges since they are 30 points higher than May. You would have a 1770 SAT score.Many colleges, however, don’t look at your best test day, but your best individual scores. In the example above, the best scores span both exams: 570 Reading (May), 650 Math (October) and 580 Writing (October). A school that counts just your highest individual scores would give you a 1800 SAT score. Your application is stronger without Score Choice.

5. Some Colleges Require All Scores Despite Score Choice

Many selective colleges and universities aren’t fond of SAT Score Choice. They don’t want to see a scenario in which students who can afford to do so take the SAT a dozen times. Thus, many top colleges and universities are requiring students to report scores from all test sittings even with the new SAT Score Choice option.

6. SAT Score Choice Disadvantages Low-Income Students

The cost of the SAT exam isn’t extravagant ($45 in 2009), but for many students from families with modest incomes, the cost is a barrier to taking the exam multiple times. The SAT and ACT have always worked to the advantage of students who can afford tutoring and test prep courses, and SAT Score Choice is likely to widen the financial divide. (Low income students should note, however, that fee waivers may be available through their schools. Fee waivers will cover two exam sittings.)

7. SAT Score Choice Complicates the Common Application

The beauty of the Common Application is that you can prepare a single application for multiple colleges. SAT Score Choice complicates the process. Three schools could have three different policies: one might respect Score Choice, one might be test-optional, and one might require you to report all scores. Thus, you might need to create three separate Common Applications to have the strongest application at each school. This can be done, but it opens the door for mistakes, especially if your high school is submitting records and recommendations electronically through The Common Application.

Want to know more? Read the rest of the article here.

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Chyten to host second College Counseling Night session, on March 30th

March 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

By request and due to overwhelming demand, Chyten of Asheville is now offering a second free College Counseling Night session on Wednesday, March 30th. Please contact us to reserve your seat!

College Admissions Strategies: Navigating Through the College Admissions Process

The college admissions process can be confusing and stressful for both you and your child. How you manage the process over the next few months, or even years, may be the difference between your child getting accepted, rejected or waitlisted at his or her ‘top choice’ colleges. Please be our guest for an evening of valuable insights, questions and answers as we outline strategies to help you navigate the confusing and serpentine waters of college admissions. Space is limited, so please call to reserve your seat. The presentation is absolutely free.

Presentation: Wednesday, March 30, 6:00 pm – 7:30pm
Cost: FREE
Presenter: Jessica Browning, Full Potential College Planning

This informational presentation is recommended for high school sophomores, juniors, and parents. Topics to be covered will include:

• Learning College Admissions Basics
• Creating a College List
• Determining what you want from a college
• Getting Organized
• Finding the Right Resources

Please register by calling 505-2495 or email scaskey@chyten.com. Registration will be accepted on first come, first served basis.

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Chyten to host free College Counseling Night on March 29th

February 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

College Admissions Strategies: Navigating Through the College Admissions Process

The college admissions process can be confusing and stressful for both you and your child. How you manage the process over the next few months, or even years, may be the difference between your child getting accepted, rejected or waitlisted at his or her ‘top choice’ colleges. Please be our guest for an evening of valuable insights, questions and answers as we outline strategies to help you navigate the confusing and serpentine waters of college admissions. Space is limited, so please call to reserve your seat. The presentation is absolutely free.

Presentation: Tuesday, March 29, 6:00 pm – 7:30pm
Cost: FREE
Presenter: Jessica Browning, Full Potential College Planning

This informational presentation is recommended for high school sophomores, juniors, and parents. Topics to be covered will include:

• Learning College Admissions Basics
• Creating a College List
• Determining what you want from a college
• Getting Organized
• Finding the Right Resources

Please register by calling 505-2495 or email scaskey@chyten.com. Registration will be accepted on first come, first served basis.

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Top Colleges Drop SAT Subject Test Requirement From Three to Two

January 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The New York Times reports that prestigious universities Georgetown, Harvard, and Princeton have all dropped a test from their ‘three SAT subject test’ admissions requirement. This means that no American college currently requires more than 2 standardized subject tests to gain admission.

Since the introduction of the SAT Writing component in 2005, colleges have been gradually reducing the subject-test requirement. This reflects the view that the SAT is a more holistic test than it was in years past, and a better indicator of first-year academic success.

But why, when top colleges like Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, Brown and Dartmouth are receiving record numbers of applicants (and, as you would expect, also rejecting record numbers of applicants) would they simultaneously want to reduce the subject test requirement, and subsequently eliminate data that could help them refine their choices?

Many admissions counselors believe that by requiring multiple subject tests, universities were impeding their access to students of a lower socioeconomic background. Less testing equals greater accessibility for lower-income students. “Many colleges, including Harvard, became confident that by reducing the number of required tests, they would not reduce their capacity to make good academic assessments,” Jeff A. Neal, a Harvard spokesman, says.

That doesn’t mean that multiple subject tests are not recommended (Georgetown’s admissions requirements even state that fact outright). Prestigious universities are very clearly leveling the playing field in one regard, but they are also able to vet potential students on other admissions criteria, including co-curricular activities and anything that might help set that student apart.

The lesson here is that while the reduction in the number of required subject tests feels like big news, the situation has not perceptibly changed. Students should take as many subject tests as they can perform well on, and they should take advantage of tutoring sessions, test prep courses, and at-home support, all of which will improve their chances for acceptance at the college of their choice.

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