Standardized Test Scores and Their Use in College Admissions Decisions

Standardized Test Scores and their use in College Admissions DecisionsPURPOSEThe purpose of this proposal is to examine current and future Iowa demesne University admissions decisions processes. At the present time most colleges, including Iowa State use a combination of standardized seek gain ground, broad(prenominal) school class rank, amply school grade point average, and essays to make decisions on admissions. All of the preceding(prenominal) are good determinants of a savants assertable supremacy in college, except standardized test scores. Standardized tests discriminate against minorities and are not a good overall indicator of a students potential. For these reasons and others, Iowa State should not use standardized test scores when making admissions decisions.BACKGROUND Since Americas college system began, someone has had the province of deciding who gets into a college and who does not. Colleges and universities must draw the line somewhere as to who has the oppo rtunity to accommodate more(prenominal) educated and who gets a full-time moving in at McDonalds. This decision-making process has always been a difficult job and has become even more difficult in recent years as competition in higher education gets tougher. College admissions departments have come up with a system which combines indicators such as standardized test scores, high school class rank, grade point average, and essays. Different schools put antithetic amounts of emphasis on these gauges but most use some assortment of them. In recent years many schools have begun to put more emphasis on standardized test scores. Almost all college demarcation line students now take entrance exams like the ACT or SAT. These tests supposedly indicate how smart a student is and how successful they would be in colle... ...f schools, ranging from small liberal arts colleges to large commonplace universities, have do the switch. Most report many benefits with no drop-off in the facult y member quality of their applicants (FairTest). Colleges and universities could make this decision for themselves or the change could come organic a statewide policy. For example in Texas, starting in 1998, students applying to public universities who were in the top 10 percent of their graduating high school class, do not have to take the ACT or SAT (State Colleges). A policy such as this is another example of a possible way to emphasize high school achievement rather than test scores. The no standardized test policy should be implemented at Iowa State University as soon as possible. Beginning with the incoming entrant class of 2001, standardized tests should not be used as a tool in admissions decisions.