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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2006 > September > 19
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Watch the college admission dominos fall
(Harvard University’s Memorial Church)
Last week, there was a ton of buzz in the blogosphere about Harvard’s decision to stop early admissions, a process by which some students can get a yea, nay or maybe in October from their top choice school. Some believe this gives an advantage to weatlhy, informed, aggressive elites. And last year nearly a third of Harvard’s class was granted early admission.
Today Princeton followed suit, also dumping early admissions. You can expect other Ivies to follow, and then probably most colleges.
This is an interesting example of the power of top schools to change the admissions process. Which made me wonder … what if Harvard decided to dump the SAT?
Did you know there already is something of a movement in this direction by smaller colleges? You can find a list here of 700 colleges that have made the SAT or ACT optional.
What would happen if Harvard did the same?
They certainly don’t need the SAT to make admissions decisions at Harvard. Most of the kids who apply have such high scores that the school’s selections almost always come down to other factors anyway. If elite schools abandoned the SAT, it might lead to more holistic applicant screening nationwide.
What do you think? Should Harvard lead this fight too?
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Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Colleges and Universities, Testing
