Why should I go back?
In her statement, Brown said the test results were a clear indication of future success.
“Our analysis made it clear that SAT and ACT scores are among the key indicators that help predict a student’s ability to succeed and thrive in Brown’s challenging academic environment,” the Providence, RI, university said in a statement.
Brown also echoed concerns expressed by both Dartmouth and Yale that suspending the testing requirements had the unintended effect of hurting prospective students from low-income families.
The committee at Brown tasked with reviewing admissions policies was concerned that some students from less-advantaged backgrounds with lower scores chose not to submit scores under the optional test policy, even when submitting them might actually have increased their chances them to be accepted.
“Strong tests, interpreted in the context of a student’s background, may serve to demonstrate their ability to succeed at Brown,” the release said, “and a lack of scores may mean admissions officers are reluctant to admit them.” .
Applications to highly selective colleges had increased during the optional trial period. Last year, Brown said she received more than 51,000 applications for fall 2023.
Is this a growing trend?
Not completely.
For every school bringing back standardized tests, some institutions are moving in the opposite direction, as part of a growing testing-optional movement in the United States. About 2,000 colleges and universities have said they will not require admissions tests, according to FairTest, an anti-testing organization.
Proponents of test-optional policies argue that they level the playing field, eliminating the advantage given to high school students from wealthy families who can afford test-prep classes and score-boosting coaches.
Many colleges chose to keep their testing-optional policies in place even as the pandemic eased. Columbia announced last year that it would be test-optional, and Harvard has said it will be test-optional until the class of 2030 graduates.
The University of Michigan, one of the nation’s most selective public universities, announced in February that it would become test-optional, abandoning a “flexible testing” policy that allowed for the use of other tests, such as Advanced Placement.
The University of California system has instituted a “blind testing” policy, meaning it will not review scores, even if they are submitted.
What about other admission practices?
Brown said a committee reviewing admissions practices had weighed the issue of legacy preferences, which are given a boost to children of graduates, but had not yet reached a conclusion.
About 8 percent of the students in Brown’s freshman class are legacies.
“The issue of admissions preferences raises complex questions about equity and access, value and unearned advantage, about the tangible and intangible impact of kinship, faith and community—and about how to weigh compelling but competing values,” said Brown’s compensation review committee. a summary.
On the one hand, the panel found that students whose parents attended Brown tended to be highly qualified, with stronger academic records. They are also more likely to accept offers of admission. And endowments create a “sense of community and loyalty among alumni.”
On the other hand, an analysis shows that admitting fewer heritage students could potentially lead to modest increases for low-income and first-generation students, as well as students from historically underrepresented groups, the panel found.
Brown said he will also maintain the early decision admissions program. Critics have said such programs help students from more affluent families.
