The Importance of Standardized Tests

Gaining admission to selective colleges has never been more difficult than it is right now.

In an effort to calm students or (some might more cynically suggest) to con students into applying in order to increase the number of applicants, many schools will claim that standardized admissions tests are not as important as students might think.

Certainly, this is true at a number of schools. But not most. Below, please see the facts from an anonymous survey done by US News and World Report:

Factors In College Admission Decision

Percentage of college admissions officers who deemed the factor "of considerable importance":

1. Grades in college prep courses 78%

2. STANDARDIZED ADMISSION TESTS 61%

3. Grades in all courses 54%

4. Class rank 33%

5. Essay or writing sample 23%

6. Teacher recommendation 18%

7. Counselor recommendation 17%

8. Interview 7%

9. Work/extracurricular activities 7%

10. Student's demonstrated interest 7%

But I Was Told Differently...

Many parents have attended college fairs where a college admissions official has been asked about the importance of test scores in the admissions process.

The college official's response goes something like this: "We look at the whole candidate. Test scores form just one criterion through which we examine the entire candidacy. We have students who were admitted despite test scores that are below our average."

When we tell  Connecticut parents that they've probably heard some variation of the above, they usually are curious how we are able, with almost word-by-word accuracy, to predict what they had been told.

We know many admissions officials and have "off the record" conversations with them. They tell us their almost programmed response has been part of their training.

Why? There is both a cynical-but-true response and an idealistic-but-true response. Both are accurate.

The cynical-but-true response is that all colleges want a large number of applicants applying to their school. The more applicants (and the more students they get to turn down) the better for marketing purposes, for ranking purposes, and for overall prestige purposes.

Colleges, by the way, are surprisingly sophisticated marketers.

Given that so much of a college's selectivity is based on perceived desireability, it is in every college's interest to boost the number of applicants to their school.

When students perceive that there is no chance for admission, they do not apply. Students often gauge their admission chances according to test scores. When they believe that their scores are too far below admission standards, they do not apply.

For that reason, college officals have it in their interest to minimize the importance of test scores in their process.

The idealistic-but-true reason only tells part of the story. It is true that some percentage of students get into selective schools despite having scores that are below the norm of the school.

The idealistic part is that, occasionally, the story of a candidate, coupled with an outstanding academic record in school, enables admissions officials to get over a student's sub-par performance on test scores.

But as with most things spun by marketers, not all the truth about such candidates is conveyed. We know of students who have gained admission to elite schools despite lower than average scores. Every student -- at least that we encountered -- had a "hook."

Hooks are the criteria that admissions officials can hang onto when they want to go beyond the normal evaluative reasons for granting someone admission.

The most common hooks are athletics, diversity (ethnic and geographic), legacy, special talent in areas other than athletics, famous person or relation to VIPs, special recommendation from important influencers such as big donating alumni, or extraordinary story, such as someone overcoming a significant obstacle in his or her life.

If, like most students, your child does not have one of these hooks, then you need to do well on the factors that are commonly used to determine admission.

What are those factors?

Look above.

Grades and test scores.

Why Tests Are So Important (and Fair

The question arises: why are standardized tests so important?

A counter-example might illustrate the point. It surprises many parents to see that work/extracurricular activities is so low on the list of criteria that admissions officers find important.

Subjective areas are simply hard to judge on a comparitive basis.

How does one determine whether an all-state trumpet player is better at "activities" than a student council vice-president?

Should someone who works 20 hours per work during the school year due to financial need be penalized for not having any activities?

How would you compare someone with hundreds of community service hours in a variety of areas with someone with fewer hours but with all those hours devoted to a local hospice?

One might think that grades provide a better measure of fairness. This is not always true.

Grade inflation in some schools is rampant. We work with a local school where almost everyone we meet has an average hovering above or near 90.

In addition, the level of competition at each school varies considerably. There are a couple of schools in our area where many students in the 4th decile (between 30-40% class rank) would most likely be in the top 10% of certain neighboring schools that have a far less competitive environment.

We are only referencing our local area. The scope of differences across the nation is so extraordinary that one could argue that "A-quality" work in one locality might rate a "B" or lower in many other places.

For example, students who earn As at The Williams School in New London are really earning As. They are taking classes with top teachers, top students, and a top workload.

There are other schools in the Shoreline and Southeastern, CT area where an A grade is not as impressive.

But colleges across the nation do not necessarily know the differences between Shoreline and Southeastern, CT schools.

In addition, even within single schools, many students are the victim of the "tough grading" teacher in a certain class, while others in the same subject area benefit from having an easier grader. This is certainly unfair.

As for teacher and counselor recommendations, as one college admissions officer told us, "after a while, many start to sound the same" and "unless the letter points to something highly unusual about the student, we usually do a quick read-through of the letter and then examine the rest of the file."

While essays are important, so many students are helped on the essays by parents, friends and coaches that even this uniquely individual part of the application has lost some of its fairness factor.

When it comes to the SATs and ACTs, those numbers relate to at least one objective area where all students across the country, and all across CT, are tested in the exact same way.

Oddly enough, despite the criticism of the unfairness of these standardized tests, the tests are probably the equitable part of the application process.

And for students from school systems in rigorous environments such as East Lyme, CT, Old Lyme, CT, Old Saybrook, CT, Madison, CT and Guilford, CT among other Connecticut locations, these tests are opportunities to shine.

How Much Do Test Scores Affect Admissions?

Yesterday was easier than today is for Connecticut students.

The level of competition for spots at top colleges has increased so significantly that the prototypical all-around star student only has a reasonable chance to get into a reasonably good school.

One of our clients from a few years back from Guilford, Connecticut, had to face the reality of this challenge.

He held a high-level student council position, was a top athlete, and in the top 10% of his class. He had spearheaded several community service projects in Guilford. His engaging personality helped make him popular with his school's faculty and administration.

Essentially, our client was the type of kid who would have been a shoe-in at most every college... If this were the 1980s.

The problem: his SATs were solid but not great, hovering around the 600s in each subject area.

His parents, thinking with a 1980s mentality, assumed that schools like Yale were within his reach and that, at the very least, schools like Boston College would be his fallback.

His parents were educated people who had reasons for their lack of knowledge about the current admissions landscape. This was their oldest child. Other Guilford parents told them how lucky they were to have such a superstar. "He'll have no problem getting into college," they were often told.

And that was true. He would have no trouble getting into over 2000 colleges. The challenge was that he, like many others, only had his sights on what he perceived were "Top 25" schools.

Largely because they thought they had nothing to worry about, the student and his parents did not pay that much attention to college admissions issues until senior year. From their perspective, his grades were good so he had never really prepped for tests other than looking at a computer program or two.

His parents were stunned when college counselors told them that Yale was out of the question and that Boston College was very unlikely. Boston College attracts an enormous amount of applicants from Guilford, and neighboring high schools such as Madison, Branford, Old Lyme, and other area schools so that even star students from the Shoreline, CT area have a hard time gaining admission.

And, yes, while the student's scores were good compared to most, the scores were not "Yale good" and not even good by BC standards.

We met the students and his parents in the late fall of his senior year after his eye-opening meeting with his advisors.

With our help, he ultimately gained admission at a reasonably good school. But, at least in the repuation game, the school was a notch below Boston College and schools of that type.

While we are sure that he will recover from this situation and do well, we remember his shell-shocked look when we first met him after being informed him of his admissions chances.

Among his parents' first words: "We wish we had known. We would have started earlier."

The Better Way

We had a similarly credentialed student as a client several years back, whom we met in-between his sophomore and junior years at East Lyme High School in Connecticut.

While not quite as impressive as the aforementioned case study, his background was solid -- three-sport athlete, good community service, and top 15% of his class at East Lyme.

This student had a similar challenge. He wanted to attend the Naval Academy or some other highly competitive university with an ROTC programs. However, his PSATs as a sophomore were in the 500 range for each subject area -- not close to good enough.

His parents knew that his scores were not sufficient and started earlier in the process with The Learning Consultants.

Given that this student was the military type, he was easy to work with and did all that we asked - including building his relatively poor vocabulary.

His junior PSAT jumped such that his scores were all around 600, with his math 630.

He continued working.

His first SAT showed moderate improvement such that all his scores were above 600 and his math was now 640.

He continued working.

He had a second jump with his second SAT. His reading and writing scores were now in the high 600s and his math was in the low 700s.

He took the SAT a third time as a senior and wound up with a cumulative 2120 (700 reading, 730 math, 690 writing).

By this time, the student, as teens are prone to do, amended his college list, deciding against the Naval Academy but still focusing on other top schools.

His grades and activities continued to be stellar and his test scores put him in consideration for most every school in the country. He is now in a top 20 university and delighted that his hard work and focus paid off.

Why Do Scores Matter?

Students at competitive high schools should be thankful that test scores are part of the admissions process.

Those in the competitive environments of Madison, Guilford, Old Lyme, East Lyme, Old Saybrook, among many others in the Shoreline Community, as well as those at the variety of outstanding private schools such as The Williams School, Xavier High School and Mercy High School in Middletown, CT.

Madison's Daniel Hand High School is an great example of what we have seen regarding the discrepancies in the strengths of various high schools and why test scores can help applicants.

Madison has an abundance of extraordinarily smart high school students. Quite commonly, we meet extremely bright students who have class ranks that are not particularly impressive.

If test scores were not part of the admissions landscape, then the grades and class ranks of these Daniel Hand High students would compare unfavorably to students from less competitive environments.

In many cases, Madison students have helped themselves tremendously by using their SAT and ACT scores to boost their admissions possibilities.

Here's why (and we're aware that we are showing a bit of East Coast elitism) --

Students who attend Daniel Hand High School in Madison are competing against some of the very brightest high school students in Connecticut, which perenially ranks among the top three best education states in the country.

When a student from Daniel Hand is ranked in the top 40% he or she might have been ranked in the 20% in many schools in Connecticut and in the top 10% in many schools across the country.

One of our students from Daniel Hand was lamenting about standardized tests. She was hovering around the 50% ranking in her class. However, her test scores were better than 90% of the country, giving her a distinct advantage over many of her classmates.

We told that the students that she should be delighted that tests were a large part of the admissions equation. In fact, her high scores played a critical factor in helping her get into the college of her choice.

Connecticut Prep School Students and SAT Scores

Given our Shoreline and Southeastern Connecticut locations, we work with a large number of prep school students studying for the SAT.

While there are many variations on the themes, there are two basic ways of grading at such schools.

Some schools, such as The Williams School, in New London, CT, have a rigorous system.

Students from The Williams School are probably as well-prepared as those from any school in the country when it comes to dealing with the work demands of college.

We have had Williams School students return from college to tell us that college was actually easier than Williams. Needless to say, it's a fantastic school.

But given the small and super-smart student body at Williams, not everyone can get As. We have met numerous students who need top test scores to illustrate their potential, since their relatively average grades do not help them stand out.

At the other extreme, other prep schools create unusual grading systems such that the students do not get traditional grades (as in A, B or C or numerical equivalents). Instead, the student gets comments and perhaps some nearly indecipherable grade like "Highly Qualified."

In talking with busy admissions officers, particularly at smaller liberal arts schools, we hear that the time and effort needed to carefully examine such transcripts necessarily creates a higher level of focus on their test scores.

As one admissions official told us, "We can't make heads or tails out of [the school's] report card, so we place a more significant emphasis on SATs."

Reprint from The Washington Times by Rob Franek

COMMENTARY:

One thing you can say about our economic downturn is that when it comes to destroying dreams, it's an equal-opportunity provider. Indeed, all strata of society have been challenged by the financial crisis, including parents who have lost their jobs and savings and are scrambling for new money to pay for their children's college education.

Though more students applied to college this year than ever, more students also applied for financial aid. Nationally, 1.4 million students filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (the most important financial aid application) in calendar 2008 versus 2007 - a 10.4 percent increase, the U.S. Department of Education reports.

When you combine competition for admissions and financial aid with the increasing costs of higher education (an average $25,000 per year for private schools and $7,000 for in-state public institutions), it can be profoundly unsettling.

While there is some good news - including a report from the College Board that more than $143 billion in financial aid is available - there are some important things students and their parents must consider if they're serious about accessing these funds:

(1) Grades and test scores matter more than ever. The better the grades and test scores, the more college options students will have in earning meaningful scholarships and admission to low-cost schools. Consequently, the first thing students need to do is spend extra time studying to bring up their grade-point averages.

(2) Improve your college entrance test scores. The easiest thing to change is your SAT or ACT score. In fact, the time and resources you invest in preparing for the SAT or ACT can translate into tens of thousands of dollars in college tuition savings.

Interestingly, some colleges use a mathematical index that assigns points to test scores and grades and then combines them to come up with a number. Because that number is sensitive to test scores, an additional 10, 20, or 30 points on your college entrance exams could put you in a different category in terms of eligibility for financial aid, grants and scholarships.

(3) Students should apply to both affordable state schools and private universities that can offer generous financial aid.

Don't eliminate a school because of its sticker price. Some of the most expensive schools give out huge scholarships and can actually be cheaper in the long run than public schools. Students from low- and middle-income families also can focus on schools that award aid based on family income. For example, schools such as Harvard, Stanford and Princeton universities and Swarthmore College meet the full financial need of students whose family income is below a certain level.

Students who fear that their family earns too much for need-based aid can also check out institutions that hand out lots of merit aid, which is awarded regardless of a family's income. Also, ask about Pell grants and others that don't have to be repaid as well as Perkins loans for lower-income students.

A good source - bestvaluecolleges.usatoday.com - can help you find public and private universities that may best fit your financial situation.

(5) Notify financial aid offices about any change in your income or savings.

Colleges offer students financial help based on student and parent financial conditions from the previous year. So if you lost your job in November and are still looking for work, your income looks higher on paper than it is.

(6) Colleges are not in the business of making education prohibitively expensive. They are in business of educating students. Colleges also are nervous about the ability of people to afford college and are afraid students will back out at the last minute and spots won't be filled. Consequently, they are planning to provide more money for tuition discounts.

While the need for grants and scholarships has grown dramatically because of the economic crisis and securing financial aid has become extremely competitive, money is available. The key is to commit to investing the time and energy required to access it successfully.  

The Learning Consultants
(860) 510-0410
dcapuano@learningconsultantsgroup.com