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Rachel Penick

Mrs. Storer

English 3 H Block 5

20 November 2019

Accounting for All Aspects of a Student

I have always been a good student. I have always gotten good grades and done well on

most of the tests that I have taken. But being a good student and a good test taker are completely

different things. I genuinely enjoy learning and I work hard to understand the material that is

being taught. I studied all summer for the ACT. I went to a tutor once a week and did over 20

practice tests, yet, I still got a poor score. Alternatively, my friend who has the same GPA and

takes all the same classes I do, only studied a week before and memorized all of the concepts. He

ended up receiving a high score because he is an exceptional test taker. A good test taker knows

how to memorize the information once the test comes around, but do not always retain the

information after. ACT/SATs favors these types of students. ACT/SAT scores do not show the

true strength of a student and they are biased towards other races that are not white and therefore

colleges should focus less on test scores and more on the student as a whole.

ACT/SATs do not show the true strength of a student. They do not prove that they

actually learned the concept, only that they were capable of memorizing the information on the

test. William Hiss, former Dean of admissions for Bates College, led the study which tracked the

grades and graduation rates of students who submitted their test results against those who did not

over several years. According to Hiss, “The evidence of the study clearly shows that high school

GPA matters. Four-year, long-term evidence of self-discipline, intellectual curiosity and hard

work; that’s what matters the most. After that, I would say evidence that someone has interests
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that they have brought to a higher level, from a soccer goalie to a debater to a servant in a

community to a linguist. We need to see evidence that the student can bring something to a high

level of skill” (Hiss Do ACT and SAT scores really matter). This study shows that GPA and

extracurricular activities are a better way of gaging what a student will bring to a college.

Professional educational Researcher and former dean of the UC Berkley School of Law, Edley

Jr. states, “Doubling down on college admissions tests like the SAT flies in the face of consistent

research showing that scores on these tests are weaker predictors of college performance than

high-school grades” (Edley Jr Don’t use the SAT or ACT to undermine education

accountability). Both of these professional’s research shows that elements such as a GPA or

extracurricular activities are a better way of assessing a student. Accepting a student based on

SAT/ACT scores is an unfair way of determining a student’s worth.

ACT/SAT scores are bias towards all other races besides those who are white. Providing

all students with the chance to take college admissions tests sounds like a logical way to pull

disadvantaged students into the college pipeline. These scores allow colleges to narrow down the

playing field and make decisions on acceptance. This method is very efficient. But efficiency is

not fairness. According to The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, “Race, class and

gender biases give White, affluent, and male test-takers an unfair edge” (NCFOT The ACT:

Biased, Inaccurate, and Misused). ACTs are directly related to family income. The NCFOT

states, “The richer the students' parents are, the higher are average scores. But score gaps

between groups on the ACT cannot be explained away solely by differences in educational

opportunity linked to social class. According to ACT research, when all factors are equal, such as

course work, grades and family income, Whites still outscore all other groups. If the ACT were

not biased, Asian Americans, who take more academic courses than any other group, would
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likely score even higher” (NCFOT the ACT: Biased, Inaccurate, and Misused). The ACT is

clearly not giving all teens a fair and equal chance. Moreover, boys score slightly higher than

girls across all races, despite boys' lower grades in high school and college when matched for

identical courses.

There are quite a few colleges that offer guaranteed admissions to students who meet

certain SAT/ACT scores. According to “Prep Scholor” public schools such as Arizona State

University, University of Arkansas, Kansas State University, and many more provide guaranteed

admission for students with high test scores. The argument as to why they do this is that it is an

easy way to sort through large pools of applicants and it keeps standards from year to year.

According to a spokesman for the College Board, “The SAT does not and should not measure

excellence on its own. Data are overwhelming that grades and test scores together better predict

college success than either does alone. Comprehensive research demonstrates that sustained

commitment to an activity in high school outside of class further predicts success in college and

beyond. Resourcefulness in response to challenges has long been honored in college admissions

as a dimension of merit and success in life. A focus on a single score would leave so much talent

unseen” (Carnevale What If Colleges Used Only Test Scores to Fill Campuses). When a

student’s test grade is not high, it is a sign that they are not college ready. That should not be the

case. According to Thomas of Claremont Graduate University, “Both the ACT and SAT are

highly problematic as tools in the admissions process.” He pointed to research showing that

students' high school grades and the rigor of the courses they take in high school are the best

predictors of college grades. Colleges should use GPAs as their main indicator of whether they

let the student in their school or not. When using GPAs, they should account for the difficulty of

the school and the difficulty of the classes they are taking. “The nearly 400 colleges and
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universities that already admit substantial numbers of freshman applicants without regard to test

scores have shown that class rank, high school grades, and rigor of classes taken are better tools

for predicting college success than any standardized test” (NCFOT The ACT: Biased, Inaccurate,

and Misused). Even the test-maker admits that high school grades predict first-year college

grades better than ACT scores do. In fact, adding the ACT to the high school record does not

significantly improve predictions. ” One study at Chicago State University confirmed this trend.

For the vast majority of the university's graduates who scored in the middle range of the test as

high school students, the ACT explained only 3.6% of the differences in cumulative college

GPA. In fact, the exam over-predicted the performance of the class graduating in 1992, which

had the highest average ACT score among the classes in the research study yet the poorest

academic performance over four years at the university” (NCFOT the ACT: Biased, Inaccurate,

and Misused). A student’s GPA is an accumulation of all the homework and tests that they have

taken all year. This is a better way of getting a feel for a student because it shows what type of

student they are. It is not just one test they take, rather an accumulation of many.

ACT/SAT scores should not determine whether a student is granted admission to a

university or not. ACT/SAT scores do not demonstrate the true intelligence of a student and they

are biased towards races that are not white and therefore colleges should focus more on the

student as a whole instead of one’s test scores. These test scores will continue to negatively

impact many student’s lives around the world if something does not change.
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