Test Scores Count Again at MIT

The SAT and ACT can help identify disadvantaged talent

WSJ editorial.

"The attack on merit and achievement has gained steam as more American universities have abandoned standardized test scores as an admissions requirement. So congratulations to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for announcing Monday that it will again require SAT or ACT scores from future applicants after dropping the requirement for two years.

“Our ability to accurately predict student academic success at MIT⁠is significantly improved by considering standardized testing—especially in mathematics,” Stu Schmill, dean of admissions and student financial services, wrote in a blog post.

Mr. Schmill added that the tests “help us identify academically prepared, socioeconomically disadvantaged students who could not otherwise demonstrate readiness.” These students may not have access to piccolo lessons, excursions to the Galapagos Islands, or advanced placement courses that can boost a student’s chance of admission.

That’s a crucial point related to the claim that standardized tests are biased against poor and minority students. Tests can in fact find diamonds in the high-school rough. 

A University of California task force found in 2020 that standardized test scores are “better predictors of success for students” who are minorities or from low-income families. The SAT helped UC identify “students who came from outside relatively privileged circles who might have the potential to succeed in university.”

High school grade-point averages—which are often inflated—might otherwise be given too much admissions weight. A Stanford paper last year found that the quality of essays, another college admissions factor, is more strongly associated with a student’s family income than SAT scores. That’s no surprise since those families can more easily afford tutors or writing counselors.

The UC report recommended keeping the standardized test requirement. The university system chose to ignore that advice and scrap the scores anyway, but Mr. Schmill cites the UC report in support of MIT’s decision.

The University of Chicagodropped its test requirement in 2018, and schools such as Harvard and Cornell did so in 2020, citing Covid. The SAT and ACT shouldn’t be the only measure used in admissions, but they are an important indicator of whether a student can meet the academic standards in college. Perhaps MIT’s decision will give other schools the courage to reinstate the tests and keep standards high."