The College Board’s Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a defining feature of the college admissions process, having been so since its inception nearly a century ago, often making or breaking a student’s application to top schools. The SAT seems completely reasonable on the surface: a rigorous test of a student’s mathematics and English literacy skills to determine their compatibility with higher education. In reality, this perception is misleading; instead, a student’s score is a nearly direct indicator of their socioeconomic status. Universities should stop accepting the SAT completely, due to its negative impact on less privileged students.
Studies have repeatedly shown a correlation between students’ household income and their SAT scores. An article from the Harvard Gazette stated that students in the bottom 20 percent of income distribution take the test at a significantly lower rate and have a substantially lower average score. Only about 2.5 percent of low-income testers score above 1300, while 17 percent of students in the top 20 percent of income distribution score above 1300. Furthermore, children in the top one percent of earners were more than 13 times more likely to score above a 1300 than low-income students. The bottom line is clear: children from wealthy families are much more likely to receive higher scores, while those from low-income families are left behind.
The SAT also disproportionately affects minority communities. Analysis from the Brookings Research Institution found that the average math scores of Latino and African-American students were more than 100 points lower than those of white and Asian students, and significantly lower than the average score of all test takers. The correlation between socioeconomic standing and score is undeniable, creating a discriminatory advantage for richer white and Asian test takers. It is a clearly flawed system, only widening the gap between the privileged and the underprivileged.
The SAT underrepresents disadvantaged communities, negatively impacting their access to higher education. While income influences other factors in the college admissions process, such as grade point average (GPA), it sways them less directly. GPA shows a much weaker income-to-score correlation, less than half of that of the SAT, according to Penn Wharton. The college admissions process as a whole is deeply tied to income, but institutions cannot be complicit in letting students who deserve fair chances be tossed aside. Colleges should strive to level the playing field, not exacerbate the issue. Lower-income students have fewer opportunities to improve their scores compared to their high-income counterparts; SAT improvement courses and private tutors can cost hundreds of dollars, and many are unable to afford them. Removing the SAT’s effect on admissions would not only provide a more objective lens than many schools’ current systems, but also offer more opportunities for lower-income, equally qualified candidates to flourish.
Many universities are already test-optional or test blind, not considering SAT scores. Policymakers should implement this system nationwide, as a blind admissions process accepts more qualified applicants and creates diverse campuses. Equal access to higher education and opportunities for upward social mobility create more complete societies, and a test-blind approach encourages more of both.
(Sources: Brookings Institution, Harvard Gazette, Penn Wharton)
Categories: Opinion