Standardized Testing | Princeton Admission (2024)

FAQs

Standardized Testing | Princeton Admission? ›

Princeton has no minimum test score requirement for admission; rather, all of the information in each student's application is considered in context.

College admission tests like the SAT and ACT are standardized tests typically taken in your junior or senior year. Colleges use scores from these tests to help them make admission decisions.

Test scores are more reliable than high school grades, partly because of grade inflation in recent years. Without test scores, admissions officers sometimes have a hard time distinguishing between applicants who are likely to do well at elite colleges and those who are likely to struggle.

Scholars such as Leigh Patel have argued against the use of standardized tests for college admissions, pointing to the fact that Carl Brigham, the creator of the SAT, was a member of the American Eugenics Society and that the use of standardized tests in higher education came out of the eugenics movement.

“We are removing the ACT/SAT requirement for California students and developing a new test that more closely aligns with what we expect incoming students to know to demonstrate their preparedness for UC.”

Is the SAT still required for 2024? It depends on where you apply. According to FairTest, more than 1,900 accredited, four-year schools don't require applicants to submit SAT scores. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that this amounts to more than 70% of bachelor's-granting schools.

Because high school grading systems (and GPAs) can vary by school, a standardized test can provide a more objective metric for consideration. Including scores from the SAT or ACT exam in your student's application can help show schools of interest that they are academically prepared for college-level work.

It drives students and teachers away from learning, and at times from school. It narrows, distorts, weakens and impoverishes the curriculum while fostering forms of instruction that fail to engage students or support high-quality learning.

Standardized tests measure little of what parents and others want children to learn and experience in schools. They do not measure creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, leadership or empathy. Many schools narrow their focus to the tested subjects of math and reading. Other important subjects are sidelined.

Why are the SAT and ACT not effective? ›

Any anomalies that occur during or after the test could lead to inaccurate scores on students� tests. Content validity shows how well the test items match with the purpose of the assessment. Another problem with these two tests is speed as a factor.

Some schools have kept these changes in place, while others have shifted back toward requiring standardized testing. Notable schools that have reinstated the SAT/ACT include Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, MIT, Caltech, and the entire public university systems of Florida and Georgia.

The SAT does not measure how great of a student you are. Some college admissions officers use the test to get a general idea of how well you'll fare in their college if they were to accept you, but it does not demonstrate your ability to take notes, listen in class, participate in group work and learn in high school.

Harvard first announced a shift to test-optional admissions in June 2020, removing the requirement for applicants to the Class of 2025 to submit standardized test scores amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, before it extended the policy to the Class of 2026.

That's right: the SAT will no longer be administered in a physical format, and test takers from 2024 onward will now take the digital version. While nearly every college and university in the United States decided to make the SAT optional during the pandemic, millions of students still took the test.

All applicants to the Class of 2029 — due to apply in the fall and winter of 2024 — will be required to submit SAT or ACT scores, barring specific cases in which they may be unable to access such exams, according to the College's announcement.

This is a common misconception. Colleges don't have a preference between the SAT or ACT so it's important to know how to choose the test that's right for you. Both tests are widely accepted across U.S. colleges—including those that are test optional.

Both tests evaluate your skills in reading, writing, and math. However, the ACT goes a step further by offering an optional essay component that can highlight your writing skills to provide a more well-rounded assessment of your academic abilities.

The SAT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The SAT is a multiple-choice, computer-based test created and administered by the College Board.

The main college entrance exams are the ACT and the SAT. The CLT is a newer alternative that is accepted by a small number of colleges. Colleges and universities, especially highly selective schools, may also require SAT Subject Tests.