With the emergence of test-optional college admissions, more and more schools are opting to make students’ SAT and ACT scores optional on their applications. Statistics are showing that this is a positive change for the colleges participating. All colleges should take part in this change.

According to the News and Observer, a study released in May states “that standardized testing puts good students from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds at a disadvantage.” It was also shown that the “average high school grade point average of applicants who did not submit test scores were only slightly lower than the comparable numbers of those who did send their scores” (U.S. News).

This means that the standardized test does not fully represent a student. Those who receive a high GPA can receive bad SAT or ACT scores, and those who receive a low GPA can receive good SAT or ACT scores.

In Ithaca College, a school that stopped requiring SAT or ACT scores, there was a shown increase in applications, and an increase in the amount of people accepted. There were 4,000 more applicants, and 100 more people were enrolled than was their target. Not requiring standardized testing helped students get enrolled into college.

According to The Atlantic, a large study “reviewed college transcripts of 123,000 students from 33 colleges and concluded high-school GPAs were as strong a predictor of college success as SAT or ACT scores.” Those who test poorly will be punished even if they have the same knowledge as those who test well.

Instead of using testing as an indicator for college and career readiness, a student’s GPA, challenging classes they took, and extracurriculars they were involved should be used to see who they are. These tools can be used to display how well-rounded a student is and how strong their work ethic is. Those characteristics should be more important than a long test you take in single day. That same test can be affected by different outside factors like an amount of sleep, amount of hydration, test setting, and even room temperature.

A longer period of time to show intelligence and ethic is better to understand a student than a single test taken in a day.