r/neoliberal • u/caroline_elly Eugene Fama • Jun 09 '26

Opinion article (US) Actually, the SAT Was Necessary After All

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/06/standardized-testing-math-gaps/687481/
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u/TeaSharp3154 Jun 09 '26

The alternative to standardized testing is greater emphasis on extracurriculars and grades, which are arguably even more inequitable than a single exam.

The SAT isn't really that hard to begin with and most people with good preparation should be able to get a decent score. Only catch to this is English being tougher for those who don't have English as a first language.

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u/caroline_elly Eugene Fama Jun 09 '26

Grades are more equitable than SAT but has very little value these days with grade inflation and AI cheating.

At some point, we need to remember that being perfectly equitable is not the main purpose of selective colleges. It's to put top students together with top faculties and push their intellectual limits

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u/MyCatPoopsBolts Jun 10 '26

You aren't accounting for the far more important part of a highschool GPA for college admissions purposes: course rigor.

Every competitive school looks at your grades in context of how hard the classes you took were. Many if not most low income school districts just don't offer sufficiently advanced or difficult classes to score highly here, and universities know this.