Recently some colleges have decided to bring back the SAT and ACT. Schools like Perdue, Harvard, Brown and Yale are expecting SATs in applications for the next 2025-2026 application cycle. The question arises how and why this test is now being brought back into consideration.
The colleges you are accepted to can determine the rest of your life. The U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in a 2024 Quarter One report that the median weekly income of individuals with a high school diploma is $901 compared to Bachelor degree holders with a median of $1,680. A gap of that precedent makes the necessity of a degree evident. With Ivy League universities and other top schools receiving an unprecedented amount of applications from eager high school students, the college admissions process has grown increasingly more competitive. Over the past few years, there has been a universal decrease in acceptance rates for schools across the U.S., because of the removal of SAT/ACT.
“We’ve actually seen an increase in the share of colleges on the Common App that don’t require a test score,” senior manager of research and analytics at Common App Preston Magouirk said.
College acceptance was difficult prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has only become increasingly competitive. There was a significant increase in applications in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years.
“With the increase in applications, admission rates have been on the decline most notably at highly selective schools. Admission rates also dropped at colleges that top students once considered reliable match schools or safeties. For example, during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 admission cycles, Colgate University’s admission rate dropped from 27.4% to 12.34%” College Data said.
This choice, originally meant to ease pressure on applicants when SAT/ACT spaces and opportunities were inconsistent and difficult to navigate, created a larger pool of applicants. What would stop many students from sending applications before the standard was now void.
Colleges and universities have never seen such a precedent of applications, and the smaller percentiles could retroactively change how applicants navigate applications.
“Simply put, they are getting more applicants than ever before. Even though more students are applying, these top-ranked schools haven’t substantially increased the size of their incoming classes,” the Washington Post said.
Getting rid of standardized tests in the admissions process is a tricky concept to navigate, and there are many opinions on the matter. On one side, it can harm applicants with high standardized testing scores because it removes a part of the application process that separates applicants. On the other hand, it can help applicants who have lower scores and give them a chance to attend a highly selective college.
“Some institutions have taken one specific action in recent years that’s worthy of widespread replication and will help ensure that talented students of color have access to highly-selective undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs: they eliminated standardized entrance exam requirements,” Forbes said.
Are decreasing college acceptance rates the colleges’ faults, or the new reality of admissions processes? Students apply to multiple universities, and yet only pick one. For future students, it is important to research and understand the components of a college application and the acceptance rates for each university. As competition continues to increase, students can reassess what they can do to stand out. .
