Plenty of Ivy League establishments have adopted insurance policies the place standardized check scores, such because the SAT or ACT, should not a compulsory element of the applying course of. This permits college students to decide on whether or not or to not submit their scores for consideration. For example, an applicant with sturdy grades and extracurricular actions however a lower-than-expected standardized check rating may decide to not embrace that rating of their utility.
The adoption of those insurance policies goals to broaden entry to greater schooling for a extra numerous vary of scholars. This consists of these from deprived backgrounds who could not have had entry to the identical check preparation sources as their extra privileged friends. Traditionally, standardized checks have been criticized for probably perpetuating socioeconomic inequalities. Eliminating the requirement can shift the main focus to different features of a scholar’s profile, resembling their educational report, essays, and letters of advice, thus offering a extra holistic analysis.