How Could SAT's Possibly Still Happen? Why does CB refuse to acknowledge reality?

MYOS1634
Fri, 22 May 2020 13:50:32 +0000

Absolutely. The UCs have said they wouldn’t require test scores for 4 years and hope to develop an admission test better suited to their needs in the meantime.
I think they’re a large enough system, with enough applicants, that they can pull it off and function entirely without the CB.
If several of the other colleges that are “temporarily test optional” find that it didn’t jeopardize quality, they may simply dispense with it.
That leaves some flagships (where GPA*test scores is still the ruling formula) or perhaps even just their honors colleges and merit hunters.
So really the students who’ll really need test scores will be students who need merit.
However, part of the idea of standardized testing is differentiation over a broad spectrum, which this group wouldn’t represent. (We can assume not many in the 800-1100 group were seeking merit so if they have test optional choices the group would totally change and scores may no longer be worth what we think they’re worth. Say, if the median test taker is the current-1300 type rather than the current-1000 type, what will happen?)