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Should Standardized Tests Play In College Admissions Essay

1767 Words8 Pages

My topic revolves around the type of role standardized tests should play in college admissions. I plan to argue that colleges should put less emphasis on standardized tests when choosing the best applicants to attend their universities. Many colleges are taking the approach of ignoring standardized tests results, and either implementing new tasks or stressing other factors when considering the best applicants. Test-optional schools may require additional essays and personality tests, or examine the applicant’s coursework to determine academic excellence and degree of difficulty. The research I collected suggests that standardized tests are biased against various races and classes, GPA is a better indicator of college success, and test-optional universities lessen barriers and increase diversity within their institutions. There have been an increasing number of students who are misrepresented by a single score, yet academically succeed in college nonetheless. That is the primary reason why standardized tests should not be as highly regarded as other factors such as high-school GPA. …show more content…

Because this source was published in a newspaper, I received the most current information on my topic compared to any other source I’ve collected so far. Based on the article, I learned that more than 850 out of 3,000 four-year universities have taken the test-optional approach, many universities are requiring a personality test to be taken by applicants in place of standardized tests, and standardized tests have been criticized for being bias, primarily because white, Asian students, and wealthier families on average perform better than African-Americans, Latinos, and poorer families (Belkin,

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