The college admissions process used to balance grades, extracurriculars and standardized test scores. However, since Bowdoin College introduced the first test-optional policy in 1969, many schools have adopted test-optional policies, placing greater emphasis on subjective parts of applications, such as essays, recommendation letters, or extracurriculars. In a test-optional world, a student’s college preparedness cannot be accurately predicted without standardized testing, as each student’s situation varies widely: a high GPA could reflect extensive studying or lenient grading and an exclusive internship could indicate dedication or a paid opportunity not all students have access to. Therefore, all schools should reinstate test requirements to limit the subjectivity of college applications and highlight academic achievement independent of wealth.
Financial Inequalities
Bringing back test requirements at colleges across the country will support underprivileged students by showcasing academic and extracurricular achievement separate from finances. Since most colleges use holistic review, which assesses an applicant’s unique experiences alongside traditional measures of educational achievement (grades and test scores), removing test scores from a student’s application puts greater emphasis on more subjective aspects. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, “Unpaid internships disproportionately benefit students who can afford to intern without pay,” meaning students who can afford unpaid internships instead of working a paid job after school have an advantage when building a resume.
Furthermore, many students with limited funds cannot afford extracurricular activities. “18 percent of middle and high school-age children are not involved in any extracurricular activities this school year, and students from households earning $100,000 a year or less experience twice the rate of nonparticipation than peers from families with higher incomes,” according to the University of Michigan. Extracurricular involvement does not solely reflect passion; it reflects whether or not a student can afford to participate.
Favored Recommendation Letters and Essays
The quality of recommendation letters varies from school to school and are primarily based on class size, which impacts the relationship between a student and dean. According to Generations College, a non-profit college in Chicago, a smaller class size leads to individualized attention from instructors, making it easier to receive a personalized recommendation letter. Additionally, 82% of private schools in the U.S. have fewer than 300 students per grade, compared with only 31% of public schools, according to the Pew Research Center. A student who can afford to attend a private school is more likely to receive a personalized, higher-quality recommendation letter than a student from a public school with over 300 students to learn and write about. The recommendation letter is another subjective element in the college process, creating an inequality between small, expensive private schools and larger public schools.
Another significant component in a student’s college application is their essays. According to Marketplace, the average cost of four years of college counseling is $6,500. With a college counselor, a student can get personalized advice and editing for their essays and have inside information on what admission officers seek at a specific college, giving students who can afford counseling a leg up in the admissions process.
Unlike extracurriculars and college counseling, which often come with a hefty price tag, the standardized test allows for free preparatory resources on websites such as Khan Academy, The College Board, and Schoolhouse, in an attempt to make the application process more even and objective.
Grade Inflation Problem
Reinstating test requirements would alleviate some of the impact of grade inflation, meaning that a 4.0 GPA at one school is not equivalent to a 4.0 GPA at another. According to a study done by Education Week, “[a student’s] grades were not an accurate reflection of her independent mastery of standards. Our A’s and B’s represented that she completed classwork… and participated in class. None of that meant that she grasped the content and skills.” When the study solely focused on mastery of content, “students’ grades dropped precipitously.”According to the National Library of Medicine, “Grade inflation compromises the signaling value of grades, undermining their capacity to achieve the functions for which they are intended,” which is evaluating a student’s grasp of content and academic achievement. Without a standardized benchmark, students from schools that grade more strictly are penalized, while the students from grade-inflated environments gain an advantage. Because of grade inflation, a student’s grade may not be an accurate reflection of their projected academic performance at that college.
Colleges must admit students who they think will excel in their courses, and therefore need the SAT or ACT to measure a student’s quantitative and qualitative aptitude accurately. Colleges often use scores from these national tests to evaluate whether students are ready for college-level work, according to the NYC Department of Education.
Some argue that essays and extracurricular activities are better indicators of intelligence than standardized test scores, because some people are stronger writers or speakers, or excel in specific extracurricular environments, such as a newspaper publication or a club leadership role. Additionally, some test-required skeptics argue that “people are more than a grade” and that high school students shouldn’t be reduced to a numerical score. However, a holistic review ensures that all aspects of an application are considered, giving a student’s strengths an opportunity to shine in any part of their application. Therefore, a standardized test score does not reduce a student to a “number” or assume that all students excel only in test-taking; rather, it serves as an additional data point that helps contextualize academic performance.
The SAT or ACTs remain one of the few elements of the application process that are standardized, and removing the benchmark of a test score removes one of the few remaining objective measures of an application. Therefore, to increase objectivity in the college admissions process and reduce the impact wealth can have on an application, all colleges and universities nationwide should reinstate the test-requirement policy. 
