Post by elonfirefighter on May 27, 2008 11:24:30 GMT -5
To try and improve its football team to prepare for Elon Wake takes drastic measures and stops the requirement of SAT ACT. In the first week there football applicents have already doubled
Wake Forest to drop ACT, SAT
University officials say standardized tests favor wealthy students, don't predict success
JANE STANCILL
(Raleigh) News & Observer
In a groundbreaking move, Wake Forest University will no longer require applicants to submit SAT or ACT test scores for admission, school officials will announce today.
Wake Forest will become the only top-30 national university in the U.S. News & World Report ranking to make the standardized tests optional. The policy change takes effect with the freshman class starting in 2009.
University officials say they changed their policy after reviewing extensive research that shows the tests favor wealthy students and aren't the best predictors of college success.
"We think it's the fair and right thing for us to do," said Martha Allman, admissions director. "We're concerned that the SAT is a barrier to some students we very much want to bring to Wake Forest University."
Students can still choose to submit their test scores for consideration, and Allman expects many to do so. But admissions decisions will be based on high school curriculum and grades, combined with written essays, extracurricular activities and evidence of character and talent.
The university will encourage students to interview with admissions staff, by face-to-face meeting or using a computer.
In education circles, the debate has long simmered about the value of the SAT -- a key factor used by elite universities to weed out applicants. Studies have shown that standardized tests tend to have built-in racial and socioeconomic biases.
There is a growing movement of colleges that de-emphasize the test. About 760 schools don't require the SAT or ACT, says FairTest, a Cambridge, Mass.-based watchdog organization that advocates for alternatives. In recent years, highly regarded liberal arts colleges in the Northeast have joined the trend.
But Wake Forest's decision is significant because of its reputation and its location in the Southeast, where fewer colleges have dropped the test requirement, said Robert Schaeffer, public education director at FairTest.
"This extends the test optional movement to a very competitive national university," Schaeffer said. "It's very big news. Wake Forest is to be commended for adopting the policy. It sends a message that this is a policy that can be pursued not just at smaller, intimate colleges but at larger colleges where more applications have to be reviewed."
Applications spike
This year, Wake Forest received more than 9,000 applications and expects 1,200 freshmen to enroll.Allman said the 12-person admissions staff would interview more prospective students during summer college tours and during visits to high schools. Trained alumni may also help conduct interviews.
The policy may come as a relief to talented students with good grades but lackluster test scores. "There are some students who are very strong in other ways that don't test well," Allman said.
Colleges that have made the tests optional have seen a spike in applications and a more racially and economically diverse applicant pool, said Joseph Soares, associate professor of sociology at Wake Forest and author of "The Power of Privilege: Yale and America's Elite Colleges."
The SAT has never been a measure that correlates to success in college, Soares said. "It's a rotten predictor of college grades," he said. "It's a very reliable predictor of family income. If you are picking students from the higher end of the SAT bell curve, you are overwhelmingly picking students from economically privileged backgrounds."
Trend could cut stress
Wake Forest may gain on its competitors, said Steven Roy Goodman, a Washington-based consultant who advises high school students on college admissions.
"I think what's probably driving this is the desire to generate more applications," he said. "This will help Wake Forest attract some of the students who would've looked at the SAT-optional schools up North. It does change the dynamic for the competition."
If more elite schools follow Wake Forest's lead, said Schaeffer of FairTest, the trend could alleviate stress among high schoolers: "It's a way to help stall the incredible test prep frenzy that has overtaken our high schools."
Wake Forest to drop ACT, SAT
University officials say standardized tests favor wealthy students, don't predict success
JANE STANCILL
(Raleigh) News & Observer
In a groundbreaking move, Wake Forest University will no longer require applicants to submit SAT or ACT test scores for admission, school officials will announce today.
Wake Forest will become the only top-30 national university in the U.S. News & World Report ranking to make the standardized tests optional. The policy change takes effect with the freshman class starting in 2009.
University officials say they changed their policy after reviewing extensive research that shows the tests favor wealthy students and aren't the best predictors of college success.
"We think it's the fair and right thing for us to do," said Martha Allman, admissions director. "We're concerned that the SAT is a barrier to some students we very much want to bring to Wake Forest University."
Students can still choose to submit their test scores for consideration, and Allman expects many to do so. But admissions decisions will be based on high school curriculum and grades, combined with written essays, extracurricular activities and evidence of character and talent.
The university will encourage students to interview with admissions staff, by face-to-face meeting or using a computer.
In education circles, the debate has long simmered about the value of the SAT -- a key factor used by elite universities to weed out applicants. Studies have shown that standardized tests tend to have built-in racial and socioeconomic biases.
There is a growing movement of colleges that de-emphasize the test. About 760 schools don't require the SAT or ACT, says FairTest, a Cambridge, Mass.-based watchdog organization that advocates for alternatives. In recent years, highly regarded liberal arts colleges in the Northeast have joined the trend.
But Wake Forest's decision is significant because of its reputation and its location in the Southeast, where fewer colleges have dropped the test requirement, said Robert Schaeffer, public education director at FairTest.
"This extends the test optional movement to a very competitive national university," Schaeffer said. "It's very big news. Wake Forest is to be commended for adopting the policy. It sends a message that this is a policy that can be pursued not just at smaller, intimate colleges but at larger colleges where more applications have to be reviewed."
Applications spike
This year, Wake Forest received more than 9,000 applications and expects 1,200 freshmen to enroll.Allman said the 12-person admissions staff would interview more prospective students during summer college tours and during visits to high schools. Trained alumni may also help conduct interviews.
The policy may come as a relief to talented students with good grades but lackluster test scores. "There are some students who are very strong in other ways that don't test well," Allman said.
Colleges that have made the tests optional have seen a spike in applications and a more racially and economically diverse applicant pool, said Joseph Soares, associate professor of sociology at Wake Forest and author of "The Power of Privilege: Yale and America's Elite Colleges."
The SAT has never been a measure that correlates to success in college, Soares said. "It's a rotten predictor of college grades," he said. "It's a very reliable predictor of family income. If you are picking students from the higher end of the SAT bell curve, you are overwhelmingly picking students from economically privileged backgrounds."
Trend could cut stress
Wake Forest may gain on its competitors, said Steven Roy Goodman, a Washington-based consultant who advises high school students on college admissions.
"I think what's probably driving this is the desire to generate more applications," he said. "This will help Wake Forest attract some of the students who would've looked at the SAT-optional schools up North. It does change the dynamic for the competition."
If more elite schools follow Wake Forest's lead, said Schaeffer of FairTest, the trend could alleviate stress among high schoolers: "It's a way to help stall the incredible test prep frenzy that has overtaken our high schools."