Low SAT? Never mind.

“Wake Forest University will no longer require prospective students to submit SAT or ACT test scores in order to be accepted into the school and have instead made the test scores optional.” Full story

 

I think it’s a great idea to try and broaden the range of students that Wake Forest enrolls.  However, I think this is somewhat of an empty gesture because I don’t think it solves the problem.

 

First of all, it’s unfair to the kids that really work hard on their SATs.  If the SATs are not that big a deal, there is less incentive to do well in them.  You still need to do well on your class work of course, but I do think big, important tests are an important part of growing up, as long as they are used sensibly.

 

The second, and more important thing, is that it’s not addressing the issue of why wealthier students do better in the SATs.  It could be genetics – more intelligent people are more likely to be wealthier, and their children are more likely to be more intelligent.  It could be social – wealthier parents can afford tutors, less wealthy have to send their kids out to part-time jobs.

 

I know those statements are a bit extreme (there is some truth in both of them), but without a discussion about the issue, and a plan to address it, the Wake Forest move just seems like a futile gesture.