You may know that there are some universities such as Bowdoin Colleges, Bates College, Smith College, and Pitzer College that are test optional universities. These universities do not require SAT or ACT scores to be submitted for admission. But these test optional colleges are saying one thing and doing another. Why’s that? Well, these very colleges buy names each admissions cycle from the College Board’s Student Search Service of students who score certain numbers on the SAT or ACT. When you start receiving mailings from colleges, it’s likely because they got your name through SAT or ACT testing.
Many test optional universities - in fact most - recruit students based on their SAT and ACT scores. Is this hypocrisy or what?
So colleges that allegedly find enough flaws with the SAT or ACT that they took public stances to distance themselves from the tests actually still very much rely on the exams. Privately of course. In fact, according to “Bloomberg News,” “Almost all schools that used the College Board’s Student Search Service — with a database of some 6.5 million student names — before going test optional continue to use it to recruit applicants.” An exception is the College of the Holy Cross.
So do you think this is a double standard? Do you think it doesn’t make sense that universities that dropped the SAT because they claimed the exam favored the wealthy and did not serve minorities use the scores to recruit students? Do you think they should end this process? Is this a PR nightmare for these schools? Let us know your thoughts on the subject by commenting below!
Lorin, Janet. “Bowdoin Says No Need for SAT While Buying College Board Scores.” Bloomberg News. 18 July 2011. Web. 19 July 2011.
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