American colleges use a multitude of factors to determine student enrollment. The main factor that determines college admissions is the standardized test. I believe this should not be the case. 

Whether it is the ACT or the SAT, nearly every high school graduate will have taken one of them before and will probably have a horror story to tell about their experiences. 

Most universities have no preference for which standardized test a student takes, but since most at A-State took the ACT, I will be focusing on that. 

The American College Test (ACT) is used as a standard to determine if a person is college-ready or not. It is often a determining factor in if a student is accepted into school or denied admission.

I believe that these standardized tests are not a fair way to measure a student’s intelligence or potential. 

 “The average composite score on the ACT dropped for the sixth-straight year from 19.8 for the class of 2022 to 19.5 for the class of 2023, according to ACT, the nonprofit organization administering the exam. Average English, math, reading, and science scores also declined from 2022 (best colleges),” according to an article from US News. 

The ACT does not define a student or their identity as a person. One simple test score has kept students from attending their dream schools because of admission policies or scholarship requirements for the test being high.

A bad ACT score could stop a student from receiving scholarships they desperately need in order to attend school. Their application could be excellent in all other areas but their low ACT takes them out of consideration. 

A student with an excellent high school GPA that clearly shows them at the college level may be deemed not “college ready” because of the current standardized testing system.

Test scores do not determine any true information on a human or their status, but the over-reliance on these tests makes it seem like the end-all-be-all for students.  

ACT also does not account for the money students have to pay to take the test. Low-income families often can not provide for their child or children to take the ACT multiple times. 

While ACT does offer a waiver for students on free and reduced lunches to get free tests, it only covers four exams. Considering a student can take the ACT up to 12 times, this puts those who can’t afford the $60 test fee after the waiver’s been used at a massive disadvantage.

Time limits are another obstacle when considering the ACT. For example, a student may be a slower reader than other students. This student would suffer on the reading portion due to only 35 minutes being given to complete 40 questions. This is on top of having to read four passages, fully comprehend them and then turn around and answer the questions.

Or consider the mathematics section. It has 60 questions and gives students 60 minutes to answer. That’s a minute per question and some of the questions, especially those at the back half of the exam, take way more than a minute to complete.

A better system would be to focus primarily on GPA. GPA is a measure of both the work and sacrifice high school students put forth in their classes. College acceptance, scholarships and courses should be based on students’ GPA not just their ACT score.

The sooner we can focus on the entirety of a student’s high school academic journey, rather than one test, the better off our students and colleges will be. 

Categories: Opinion