Say goodbye to the ACT and SAT.
At least, that is what Columbia University is saying as it changes its policies that drop the requirement that undergrads take these standardized tests for admission purposes.
The Daily Caller reports that Columbia University is the first Ivy League school to decide to drop the requirement for undergrads to take the SAT or ACT as a permanent decision. The school released an announcement about this decision that read:
Our review is purposeful and nuancedrespecting varied backgrounds, voices, and experiencesto best determine an applicants suitability for admission and ability to thrive in our curriculum and our community, and to advance access to our educational opportunities,
The statement continued:
Standardized testing is not a required component of our application.
These standardized tests were one of the factors that Columbia University previously used to determine the academic strength of an applicant. However, numerous other factors existed, such as GPA, school difficulty, application essay, class rank, and recommendation letters.
Recently, Columbia University released data about its admissions process after math professor Michael Thaddeus stated that the school had misrepresented data to U.S. News and World Report. That publication is influential in university admissions as it releases an annual list of the most valuable schools, the most demanding schools to get into, and more.
The New York Times reports that Columbia was dropped from 2nd in the rankings by U.S. News and World Report down to 18th because of the data scandal.
The University still accepts ACT and SAT scores from students who want to take those kinds of tests if they wish to do so. It is no longer a requirement, but the school still allows applicants to try to prove their value to the University by taking those tests if they wish to do so.
Those concerned about what all of this means is highly concerned about the possibility that the standards for getting into an Ivy League school might drop further. They fear lowering these requirements will delude the value of a degree from this University and others.
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