As we all know, Brenau University has recently changed their entry application process and no longer requires potential students to present their SAT/ACT scores. In the midst of this change, the Brenau community has become exposed to the debate that has, for years now, circulated various universities. Should colleges and universities demand standardized testing from potential students? For many the answer is clear, standardized testing is traditional; the baseline that has for centuries helped higher education institutions sift through worthy and unworthy applicants. But what about students that deal with testing anxiety? For these students, the classroom is the place where they can prove that they have learned the curriculum, but once they are handed a test, the pressure and anxiety takes over and makes their minds go blank. How is it fair to define a student’s cumulative intelligence with a 152 question test? Can a prompted essay really be a true representation of a student’s ideas and conventions?
On the other hand, many argue that students are given time and resources to practice and study for either the SAT or ACT with plenty of anticipation and after this, they are allowed to retake the test to improve their scores. Yet, are these resources and retakes not catered towards a student with the financial support to afford them? I know of many centers that specialize in helping students prep and practice for the anticipated test, however, these centers usually come with a monthly charge and a membership fee that is required in order to access the necessary resources. Unfortunately, for students that are not raised in a money-enriched home, these centers prove rather useless. Likewise, each time a student has to take the SAT they have to pay a total of $52.00 dollars, so in reality the times a student takes the test directly correlates with the amount of money his/her parent has to offer. These are just a few of the reasons why so many institutions have debated between demanding a test score or not.
Is the answer to this question simple? Of course not! The question itself presents a series of complex situations to consider. It is more than just a battle between traditional and contemporary visions. I believe that this is a subject that colleges should open up for discussion, and through discussion and conversation, I strongly believe this generation can find a solution that will benefit the society that is to come after us!