Colleges Are Abandoning the SAT in Admissions. Why This Could Mean Trouble for Your Student

February 20, 2024

The SAT (once known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test) has long been the defining criteria in how universities evaluate applicants. While grades are subject to inflation and extracurriculars prone to fluff, the SAT has been a uniform baseline for evaluating college applicants. However, a reported 80% of universities have made the SAT optional for applicants as of Fall 2022.

While some hail the abandonment of the SAT as a positive development in the name of “equity,” many college applicants will suffer from the move. If your student suffers discrimination during the college entrance process, call the LLF National Law Firm Education Law Team at 888.535.3686 or contact us online.

The SAT Is (Was?) a Benefit to Many Hardworking College Applicants

Students seeking to gain every available advantage over their peers will lament the loss of the SAT as a universal college entrance requirement. Institutions like Harvard, Columbia, and Cornell have extended pandemic-era “test-optional” policies, leaving many students to wonder: How do I prove I’m Ivy League-worthy? Or worthy of admission into any university?

Assertions of bias aside, the SAT provided an objective metric of an applicant’s cognitive aptitude. While grades and personal essays will remain on the admissions table, these criteria leave far more room for subjectivity, bias, and differential testing standards than the SAT.

The Admissions Process Becomes Even More Subjective Without the SAT

Admissions rejections can be devastating, especially for students who put years of work into academics, extracurriculars, and standardized testing preparation. With the forsaking of the SAT and other standardized tests in the admissions process, you may:

  • Have fewer ways to present a strong application to preferred schools (the loss of standardized testing removes one of a few points of differentiation)
  • Have less confidence that you will be evaluated based on objective criteria
  • Have little understanding of why your application was denied
  • Receive no concrete answers from a university as to why your application was denied

The admissions process has changed dramatically in recent times, and we have seen one’s gender, ethnicity, and upbringing held against them when seeking admission to university.

Universities’ desertion of the SAT leaves more room than ever for schools to make unjust, unobjective decisions that adversely affect deserving applicants. If you believe you should have been admitted to one or more schools but saw your application denied, the LLF National Law Firm can assist you.

Burned by an Unfair Admissions Decision? Let the LLF National Law Firm Help

The LLF National Law Firm’s Education Law Team can help you appeal an admissions board’s unjust denial of your application. Our team will gather the facts about your application, speak with university officials, and lead your appeals process. If necessary, we will take additional legal action on your behalf.

Call the LLF National Law Firm’s Education Law Team today at 888.535.3686 or contact us online to discuss how we can assist you or your student.

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