Savor & Share: Culinary Chronicles
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Earlier this week Dartmouth College, that esteemed Ivy League school located deep in the New Hampshire hinterland, announced that it would end its test-optional admissions policy starting with the incoming Class of 2029 (11th graders – that’s you!).
In their announcement, Dartmouth cited new research linking performance on standardized test scores to performance on campus and improved diversity and equity. We can certainly debate the merits of those findings — and I’m sure many scholars will — but that will not change how this announcement will alter the college admissions experience for your college bound teen. Yes, I do expect many other schools to follow Dartmouth’s lead.
Research aside, Dartmouth’s decision is at least partly a pragmatic response to what ‘test optional’ has done to Admissions offices… namely, overwhelmed them with nearly indistinguishable applicants. The test-less movement enticed students with strong grades and extra-curriculars but perceivably sub-par scores to throw in their application to, say, Dartmouth, believing they had a chance despite their lower than average scores. Multiply this by several thousand and we understand the unbelievable surge in the volume of applications.
In their announcement, Dartmouth cited new research linking performance on standardized test scores to performance on campus and improved diversity and equity. We can certainly debate the merits of those findings — and I’m sure many scholars will — but that will not change how this announcement will alter the college admissions experience for your college bound teen. Yes, I do expect many other schools to follow Dartmouth’s lead.
Research aside, Dartmouth’s decision is at least partly a pragmatic response to what ‘test optional’ has done to Admissions offices… namely, overwhelmed them with nearly indistinguishable applicants. The test-less movement enticed students with strong grades and extra-curriculars but perceivably sub-par scores to throw in their application to, say, Dartmouth, believing they had a chance despite their lower than average scores. Multiply this by several thousand and we understand the unbelievable surge in the volume of applications.
