By Ben Sexton
Without exaggeration, I’d say the college application process is more confusing than ever. One by one, each element of the application – from testing to grades, from teacher recommendations to essays – has come under fire. As a testing provider, I’m of course primarily interested in testing, but I carefully follow developments with every other aspect of the application, as well. It’s important to understand how testing fits into the big picture in order to give the best advice.
So how to understand all of these developments? The Fordham Institute has recently released arguably the most comprehensive study yet on the role of testing in the current college admissions process. You certainly don’t need to read the whole study, but at the beginning, all of the main questions about testing (and grades, essays, etc.) are answered in concise form, with more detailed responses then being given below – the study can be found here.
As you consider the role testing might play in your student’s application, I think you will find this study insightful, with good, general answers about the future of testing.
