Some college admissions offices across the country are becoming less reliant on standardized test scores, but student responses are mixed about changing the admission policies at LSU.A national commission of college admissions officials is recommending that universities shift toward high school grade point averages and admissions tests as a means to admit students, according to a Sept. 22 article by The New York Times.LSU System President John Lombardi said he could not determine whether LSU could switch to a different admissions system, and attributed this movement to small, selective institutions.”On the national scene, lots of people talk about eliminating standardized test scores, but the number of institutions that have done so is relatively small,” Lombardi said in an e-mail.Some students said consideration of ACT scores is important, but it should not be the main priority in considering a student’s potential.”They should be considered, but not as much as they are,” said Mark Dupont, secondary education freshman. “A lot of people have standardized testing anxiety, so [a test] doesn’t determine somebody’s drive to do well.”Kelly Levine, art junior, said a student’s GPA should be considered more in college admissions.”Standardized tests can’t really tell how smart or motivated a person is,” she said. But Levine said she’s benefitted from LSU’s admissions standards, even though she doesn’t necessarily agree with them.”I did pretty well on the ACT, so I can’t complain,” she said.Some institutions are becoming less reliant on standardized test scores, but a few are making the tests completely optional, The New York Times reported. And the commission concludes that more public and private institutions could make admissions decisions without consideration of the SAT and ACT.Lombardi said eliminating test scores from admissions standards allows institutions to be more subjective in whom they admit, but may bring about more criticism of their admissions processes.”Most universities came to rely on test scores because they were accused of being subjective and unfair in their admission decisions,” Lombardi said. “Now, of course, they are accused of being unfair because they are using test scores.”Matt Fowler, political science senior, said both a student’s GPA and test scores should be considered in admission.”ACT scores should be considered, but not as much as they are now,” Fowler said. “It would be worse to eliminate the ACT entirely, though.”—– Contact Ben Bourgeois at [email protected]
Some colleges less reliant on standardized test scores
October 6, 2008