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New approach to standardized testing is needed at UGA
Joshua Schultz
Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: News
Despite the estimated 750 institutions who have established a voluntary approach to standardized testing, there is no sign of UGA adopting a similar plan in the near future.
Recently, Wake Forest University of North Carolina and Smith College of Massachusetts announced they will no longer require prospective students to submit SAT or ACT scores as a part of their applications.
"[Standardized test scores] are a factor", said Nancy McDuff, associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management at UGA. "They are certainly not more important than work done during two or three years of high school; that is the most influential factor of them all."
McDuff went on to explain how the office of undergraduate admissions regards the tests with high importance, but keeps their influence less than that of one's rigor and GPA.
This raises another inquiry: Given the number of applicants from this year's high school classes are at an all-time high, how meticulously can UGA examine the level of work students did in public schools?
"On a personal level, I have children who do really well on standardized testing", laughed Maureen Downey, a high school parent and staff writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "But, on a different level, it seems unfair how everyone who has applied for early admission will be judged by their GPA and SAT and/ or ACT scores."
"Given the thousands of applicants, [UGA] doesn't have enough time to see how good the essay portion of the SAT was or what kind of sports and extracurricular activities you did", said Downey.
Although recent studies have provided increasing evidence that GPA does serve as a better indicator of intelligence than standardized testing, the thorough process associated with reviewing a student's high school career is too long when sorting through the thousands of undergraduate applications admitted to UGA every year.
Hopefully a better, equally efficient system that fairly evaluates incoming freshman will arise over the next few years, as McDuff confirms UGA has no plans to change the process over the next few years.
Recently, Wake Forest University of North Carolina and Smith College of Massachusetts announced they will no longer require prospective students to submit SAT or ACT scores as a part of their applications.
"[Standardized test scores] are a factor", said Nancy McDuff, associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management at UGA. "They are certainly not more important than work done during two or three years of high school; that is the most influential factor of them all."
McDuff went on to explain how the office of undergraduate admissions regards the tests with high importance, but keeps their influence less than that of one's rigor and GPA.
This raises another inquiry: Given the number of applicants from this year's high school classes are at an all-time high, how meticulously can UGA examine the level of work students did in public schools?
"On a personal level, I have children who do really well on standardized testing", laughed Maureen Downey, a high school parent and staff writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "But, on a different level, it seems unfair how everyone who has applied for early admission will be judged by their GPA and SAT and/ or ACT scores."
"Given the thousands of applicants, [UGA] doesn't have enough time to see how good the essay portion of the SAT was or what kind of sports and extracurricular activities you did", said Downey.
Although recent studies have provided increasing evidence that GPA does serve as a better indicator of intelligence than standardized testing, the thorough process associated with reviewing a student's high school career is too long when sorting through the thousands of undergraduate applications admitted to UGA every year.
Hopefully a better, equally efficient system that fairly evaluates incoming freshman will arise over the next few years, as McDuff confirms UGA has no plans to change the process over the next few years.
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