Measuring Success: Testing, Grades, and the Future of College Admissions

Standardized tests have become the gateway to higher education . . . but should they be?

For more than seventy-five years, standardized tests have been considered a vital tool for gauging students’ readiness for college. However, few people—including students, parents, teachers, and policy makers—understand how tests like the SAT or ACT are used in admissions decisions. Once touted as the best way to compare students from diverse backgrounds, these tests are now increasingly criticized as be...