It is now optional for prospective students to include their SAT scores on their Houghton applications. According to the admissions office, the new standard is still in the beginning stages of implementation. While the test may still serve as a factor when useful for decisions, there will no longer be, as admissions office staff member Daniel Berryment described it, “The shadow of the SAT looming over someone”.
Provost and dean of the faculty, Jack Connell, is confident the shift will not come at the expense of the college’s expectations from their students. “This change in our admissions policy doesn’t in any way compromise Houghton’s commitment to outstanding academics,” he said.
He added, “Many of the finest colleges and universities in the country have moved to test-optional for the same reason we are: to gain some latitude with an admissions requirement that is for some students not particularly helpful or predictive.” Berryment also acknowledged the shortcomings of the SAT. He said, “I know that I’m usually a good test taker, so I would probably opt to do the SAT anyways. But I do know people who are very uncomfortable in those environments.”
“I know tests can create a lot of anxiety for people,” Gabi Sheeley ‘19 agreed. “I’m all for less standardization, especially since in the SAT format it’s been really hard to measure the writing skills and argumentative skills.” She explained she finds the test “poorly judges” skills which are “really important, especially at a college like Houghton because a lot of its classes are so discussion-based.”
Connell similarly appreciated the agency the shift allows the college in judging where the SAT is unhelpful. “The only change here is that in those situations in which we believe the SAT/ACT score would not enhance our decision-making, we have the ability to make an admissions decision without it. So I don’t see this as a loss for the College,” he explained. “The only loss here is of a barrier in the admissions process that in some cases is not a particularly helpful one.”
After some consideration, Berryment concluded, “Maybe the SAT really is just another test, and there are plenty of those already, in college and high school. Maybe it isn’t totally necessary.”
Despite the advantages, this transition would require adjustments as any other would. “My main concern would be how they would objectively select people for scholarships [without the SAT],” Sheeley said.
“We will of course continue to require SAT/ACT scores in those situations in which it will provide valuable additional information about a prospective student’s ability to succeed here,” Dean Connell offered. He later added, “Standardized test scores have been valuable to Houghton in the past, and they will continue to be an important part of our assessment of many prospective students.”