The Standardized Test that Stands the Test
Written by Noa Chorowsky
After the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision banning affirmative action, colleges face a question: how can they promote equal opportunity? Abandoning standardized testing, one of the only objective measures in the admissions process, is not the answer.
In Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023), the Supreme Court ruled that Harvard’s admissions program, which considered race as one of several determining factors, violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court thus limited how institutions can factor race into admissions decisions. Regardless of opinion on the ruling, it has concretely reshaped the legal landscape of college admissions, and in its wake, admissions processes are under heightened legal and public scrutiny. Today, many institutions have abandoned standardized testing post COVID-19, increasing the weight of students' essays and extracurriculars, which are often shaped by wealth and access to resources, rather than academic ability. This has led the admissions process to become extremely subjective, potentially undermining equality during a time when the Supreme Court demands neutrality. While standardized testing is imperfect, it provides colleges with a uniform metric that can help identify academically capable students whose schools, records, or essays might not demonstrate their potential.
Critics argue that disparities in the SAT and ACT prove that the tests are unfair. However, as New York Times columnist and higher education reporter David Leonhardt writes, “The disparities in SAT scores are a symptom, not a cause, of inequality in the U.S.” The racial and economic gaps in test scores do not illustrate that the tests are biased; rather, they mirror the disparities that exist in most measures of life in America. This begs the question: How can the US address these disparities to create true equal opportunity?
Research suggests that standardized tests are one of the most reliable gauges of how students will perform in college. Leonhardt writes that standardized test scores help predict college grades, graduation rates, and post-college success. Economist John Friedman reinforces this point, noting that students with the highest possible test score (SAT score of 1600 or ACT score of 36) achieve a GPA in their first year of college that is 0.43 points higher than students with an SAT score of 1200 or an ACT score of 25. By contrast, students with a high school GPA of 4.0 earn a college GPA that is less than 0.1 points higher than students with a 3.2 high school GPA. This suggests that while standardized test scores are a reliable indicator of college performance, high school GPA – which varies greatly – is less predictive.
That variation matters. Local grading policies, curriculum rigor, teacher expectations, and retake abilities all contribute to differences in grading standards, leading to large disparities across schools. Colleges use school profiles to attempt to contextualize GPAs; however, no document can fully capture the differences in grading practices. Conversely, SAT and ACT scores are standardized nationwide. While imperfect, they provide a common benchmark across extremely different educational environments.
This consistent metric is especially beneficial for lower-income students and students from under-resourced schools. Wealthy students can enhance their application by participating in expensive extracurricular activities such as music classes and travel sports teams. These students frequently attend private schools where counselors polish each student's application, and they receive help editing essays from educated parents or private tutors. In contrast, standardized testing is one of the most equitable components of the college admissions process. Colleges also consider applicants' scores in the context of their schools, taking into account funding levels and average test scores, to help maintain fairness. Leonhardt notes, “Test scores can be particularly helpful in identifying lower-income students and underrepresented minorities who will thrive.” Additionally, Dartmouth economists discovered that test scores are especially useful in identifying first-generation college students, applicants from underrepresented or lesser-known institutions, and high-achieving candidates from low and middle-income households. When Dartmouth resumed a test-recommended policy, 75% of early acceptances submitted scores. During that cycle, Dartmouth set two records: 21% of acceptances qualified for a zero-patent contribution, and 22% were first-generation college-bound. Standardized testing allowed the university to admit a more diverse group of students.
From a business perspective, universities function in a competitive market. They use price discrimination and analyze data such as enrollment elasticities to charge students the maximum tuition possible, and they work to attract as many students. Test-optional policies often lead to increases in applications, which lower acceptance rates, raise institutions’ claims of selectivity, and increase their market power. Thus, from a business standpoint, test-optional policies are highly attractive to institutions. This is worrisome, as institutions may adopt test-optional policies solely to increase perceived selectivity, abandoning their focus on fairness and equal admissions practices. However, maintaining standardized testing requirements actually serves universities’ interests, as test scores provide a consistent benchmark that helps predict students' success and allows admission officers to make more informed decisions.
No federal law bans or requires standardized testing in college admissions; rather, public university systems and private institutions set their own policies. In 2020, the
University of California Board of Regents eliminated SAT and ACT requirements, making all UC schools test–blind. On the other hand, Colorado passed legislation allowing, but not requiring, public colleges to make standardized testing optional. In Georgia, post-COVID, the Board of Regents voted to reinstate SAT and ACT requirements at more institutions. The only law that applies to all institutions receiving federal funds (public and private universities) is Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. The large differences across policies have created an inconsistent and thus potentially unfair college admissions setting, in which factors such as selectivity and institutional strategy often determine testing policies.
Standardized testing is undoubtedly not a perfect measure for college admissions. Access to test preparation is uneven, and no single exam can capture a student’s full academic capabilities. However, inequality is prevalent in every aspect of admissions, particularly in essays, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation. Removing standardized testing would not eliminate inequality; rather, it would shift greater toward even more unequal and subjective criteria. In an era demanding fairness and neutrality, abandoning one of the few remaining objective benchmarks may only increase disparities. Instead, the United States must work to eliminate disparities across all measures of opportunity and prioritize promoting true equal access.
Sources
“College Admission Use of National Test Scores | Colorado Department of Higher Education Home.” Colorado.gov, 2025, cdhe.colorado.gov/college-use-of-national-test-scores.
Friedman, John N., et al. “Standardized Test Scores and Academic Performance at Ivy-plus Colleges.” American Economic Association Papers and Proceedings, vol. 115, no. 676–81, 2025, pp. 1-6.
Leonhardt, David. “The Misguided War on the SAT.” The New York Times, 7 Jan. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/01/07/briefing/the-misguided-war-on-the-sat.html.
“Reactivating Dartmouth’s Testing Policy.” Dartmouth Admissions, 8 Aug. 2024, admissions.dartmouth.edu/apply-dartmouth/reactivating-dartmouths-testing-policy.
UC Office of the President. “University of California Board of Regents Unanimously Approved Changes to Standardized Testing Requirement for Undergraduates.” University of California, 21 May 2020,
