Harvard will require test scores for admission again

Role and Value of Standardized Tests

• Many argue SAT/ACT are among the best single predictors of academic performance, especially in math-heavy fields, and correlate better than essays or recommendations.
• Tests serve as a coarse but effective filter: low scores are a red flag for struggling in calculus/physics; high scores can surface strong students from weak schools or with low GPAs.
• Several commenters share personal stories of poor grades but strong test scores enabling access to good universities and careers.

Critiques of Standardized Testing

• Others stress tests mostly measure test-taking under time pressure and cram ability, not deep understanding, perseverance, or real-world skills.
• Concerns raised about students with disabilities (e.g., dyslexia/dyscalculia) and those with test anxiety being unfairly penalized.
• Some see strong class bias: access to tutoring, cram schools, and time to prep is uneven; SAT performance is said to track parental income and education.

Holistic Admissions, Sports, and Legacy

• U.S. elite admissions use many factors: grades, class rank, essays, recommendations, interviews, extracurriculars, sports, research, and special talents.
• Sports can signal grit, teamwork, leadership—and also function as a channel for scholarships and, controversially, for wealthy or legacy admits.
• Several commenters think holistic criteria are easier for wealthy families to game (polished essays, staged extracurriculars) than standardized tests.

Equity, Diversity, and COVID Test-Optional Era

• Some say COVID logistics were the immediate catalyst for going test-optional, but note a preexisting anti-test faction in academia.
• Claims that test-optional policies were meant to boost diversity are debated; some institutions report increased underprepared students and higher failure rates in math-heavy courses.
• A counterview holds that adjusting admissions is too late-stage; real equity requires fixing K–12 funding, social safety nets, and structural barriers.

Meritocracy, Elites, and Social Outcomes

• Strong support for merit-based selection (often equated with high test scores) coexists with skepticism about whether elite “meritocrats” have improved society.
• Some argue elite schools mainly sort and credential future leaders, amplifying existing wealth and social capital; others see them as just selecting people likely to succeed anyway and then claiming credit.