To circumvent restrictions on affirmative action, 83% of colleges and universities now make the SAT and ACT optional
To hide their racial preferences, many more American colleges are likely to stop using standardized tests like the SAT in admissions, if the Supreme Court restricts the use of race in college admissions. Blacks are admitted to selective colleges with substantially lower average SAT scores than whites or Asians. Getting rid of the test sometimes makes it harder to prove that a less qualified black applicant was admitted over a more qualified white or Asian applicant.
Many observers expect the Supreme court to prohibit some forms of affirmative action in college admissions, in its upcoming decision this month about whether Harvard University and the University of North Carolina violated the civil rights laws or the Constitution by giving racial preference to blacks and Hispanics.
1,075 ACT/SAT-optional schools pre-pandemic (as of March 15, 2020)
1,700 schools did not require ACT/SAT scores for fall 2020
1,775 schools did not require ACT/SAT scores for fall 2021
1,825 schools did not require ACT/SAT scores for fall 2022
1,904 schools do not require ACT/SAT scores for fall 2023
Some colleges have bucked the trend, however. For example, last year the Massachusetts Institute of Technology decided to reinstate mandatory submission of standardized tests for admissions, finding that getting rid of standardized tests harms smart poor kids’ admissions chances, and results in a worse crop of admitted applicants.
“Our research shows standardized tests help us better assess the academic preparedness of all applicants, and also help us identify socioeconomically disadvantaged students who lack access to advanced coursework or other enrichment opportunities that would otherwise demonstrate their readiness for MIT,” said MIT’s dean of admissions.
Racial preferences in college admissions violate the plain language of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and likely violate the Constitution when employed by public universities. They also frequently violate the law against racial discrimination in contracts, 42 U.S.C. 1981, as the Supreme Court ruled in footnote 23 of its decision in Gratz v. Bollinger (2003).
