By: Benjamin Bittner, Gateway Regional High School, Woodbury Heights
WOODBURY HEIGHTS, N.J. – The number of students sitting for the SATs has not recovered from pre-COVID-19 numbers.
According to the Insider Higher Ed, in 2020, 2,198,460 students took the SAT, and scores have noticeably decreased for both the SAT and the ACT. Further, according to kqed.org, “Scores have been falling for six consecutive years, but the trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The National Center for Education Statistics had also stated that, “the number of students taking the ACT also fell from 2020 to 2021, with 22% fewer students taking the test.” The College Board, who produces the test, has also mentioned that within recent years, there are still many people taking the test, including the 1.9 million people in the class of 2023.
While this number is still high, it is lower than before, and does not show much of a sign of increase as most ivy league schools are now test optional. Covid was a main cause of this massive change towards colleges and was originally discovered in the late 2019s in Wuhan, China, and entered the conversation in the US in January 2020 when the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted the nation of the abroad outbreak.
COVID changed the policies of schools, colleges, workplaces, etc. It notably changed the policies of college, especially involving SAT requirements, are they required or are they not? Do students even need SATs for scholarships? How do students feel about not having to submit their scores?
The College Board is the center console of the SAT program involving the signup, and the study materials. The College Board itself has stated that “most colleges are now test optional, but some have gone back to requiring scores.”
Originally, the SAT was a on paper 4-5 section test involving mathematics, English, terminology, and more, that was required for most colleges to be considered to enroll. Conditions have since changed once COVID hit, as some colleges have informed students that the SAT is not required. Although colleges claim the SAT is not required, some do wish to see certain scores for greater chances at enrollment.
Rowan University’s application website states “The entire way we connect is rapidly changing, so we are too. Rowan University is now test optional.” As of right now Rowan does not show any signs of plans considering changing the policy, as well as other colleges such as Stockton.
Stockton feels the same way about both the ACT, and SAT. As stated on their website, “Stockton University is SAT/ACT Optional! Students do not need to submit test scores to be considered for university admission or scholarships!”
Similar to Rowan and Stockton, Rutgers does not require the SAT to be submitted; however, they encourage students to submit scores if they believed it would benefit their admission process. On their website, Rutgers says, “If you feel your standardized test scores will benefit you in the admissions process, we encourage you to submit them. If you are unable to submit a test score, or choose not to, you will still receive full admission consideration.”
Although many colleges say they are not required, an Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Admissions Office staff at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) stated that “The College of New Jersey has had a test optional policy for the last three years, but that can always change. The only majors that make SAT scores a requirement are our 7 year medical and optometry programs. Nursing has started encouraging students to provide these scores too.”
TCNJ does not require any SAT score for consideration at acceptance and encourages students to submit them if they are interested in sharing their scores. As of currently it does not show that TCNJ has any plans of making SATs required.
As many colleges have decided to stick with non-mandated SAT scores, students may be curious, what about scholarships? Scholarships are an efficient way to earn financial aid funds resulting from the hard work of students.
Typically, students who excel in education could receive something called a “Full Ride Scholarship,” which is an award that grants cover over all expenses related to college.
So, what do students need for scholarships like this? The answer is students don’t need the SAT for non-merit scholarships; however, merit scholarships require students to achieve a recommended score of 1200-1600. The higher the score achieved in that range; the more money typically awarded to students for their efforts.
The students graduating in 2024 may or may not be submitting their SAT despite the amount of leeway colleges need to award aid.
Dalis Letzgus, a senior at Gateway Regional High School, believes that the SAT is a test of records which can represent a student’s capabilities to put in effort and therefore is a waste of representation of talent. While Dalis thinks that because the SATs should be shown to colleges, there is also the option that not turning them in is reasonable if the student doesn’t want to.
Letzgus has mentioned not including their SAT scores on his transcript because it is not as high as they would like and does not believe that he could achieve higher. Letzgus suggests to students that taking the test is a good idea, and to retake until you achieve your best score, and decide from there on whether students should submit their SAT scores depending on the score they receive.
Like Letzgus, James Keisel, a Gateway senior, said, “I have taken the test, and I am sending the scores to colleges. I think taking the test is better because it gauges if someone is dedicated to doing something. I personally think it shows a student’s determination because when taking the SAT they should study for it. When studying for the SAT, it builds or enhances the skill of studying for a long time for an important test. If a student takes a long time to study for a test and does well on it, I think they should be recognized for their hard work and effort.”
While some students may consider sending their scores for better purposes, Gateway Regional High School Counselor Melissa Eckstein stated that, “since mostly only students with top notch scores are submitting now, it has skewed the “median” score, and it is dissuading potential applicants. SAT scores do not do a good job predicting who is going to be successful in college. As a matter of fact, grade point averages are a better predictor of college success.” Eckstein believes that a student’s GPA or grade point average better reflects their dedication to their education and their efforts accumulated to achieve their success.
The SAT has significantly experienced change ever since the COVID pandemic. Students are advised to read college applications carefully so they can be informed of their decision to take or not take the SAT.
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