VOSS Posted April 11 Posted April 11 Quote Harvard College will reinstate its standardized testing requirement in admissions beginning with the Class of 2029, a surprise reversal that could leave some students scrambling to take SAT or ACT tests ahead of application deadlines in the fall. The decision comes in the face of Harvard's previous commitments to remain test-optional through the admitted Class of 2030, a policy that was first instituted during the pandemic. Harvard had faced mounting criticism from both academics and admissions experts for continuing its test-optional policies, even as its peer institutions returned to requiring standardized tests. In recent weeks, Yale, Dartmouth, and Brown have announced returns to required testing. Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi E. Hoekstra wrote in a statement that "standardized tests are a means for all students, regardless of their background and life experience, to provide information that is predictive of success in college and beyond.” "More information, especially such strongly predictive information, is valuable for identifying talent from across the socioeconomic range,” she added. "With this change, we hope to strengthen our ability to identify these promising students.” In its press release, Harvard referenced a study from Harvard-affiliated initiative Opportunity Insights, led by Brown University economist John N. Friedman '02 and Harvard economists Raj Chetty '00 and David J. Deming, which found that SAT scores are a particularly strong predictor of college success – much more so than a student's high school grade point average. Still, the College's announcement – made exactly two weeks after it released admissions decisions for the incoming Class of 2028 – may expose it to criticism. Harvard's reversal of its commitment to stay test-optional through the next two admissions cycles came with little warning to applicants for the Class of 2029, who have six sittings of the ACT and the SAT left before Harvard's regular decision application deadline on Jan. 1 — and even fewer before its early action deadline of Nov. 1. Source
KatyPrismSpirit Posted April 11 Posted April 11 University admissions work so differently in Europe lmao 1
CécredSpaces Posted April 11 Posted April 11 America always being drama queens with everything. Standardized admission tests are the norm in most schools around the world. 1 1
professor2000 Posted April 12 Posted April 12 College is lowkey a scam anyways lol. And yes, I was crazy enough to pay for Masters at a very expensive private school. So I'm speaking from experience. The degree opened doors for good jobs I guess, but most of my success I attribute to hustling during internships, imo. Anyways…standardized tests don't prove ****. I know people who got damn near perfect SAT + LSAT scores and wasn't able to hang with the big dawgs at their Ivy League universities. Literally dropped out + working local jobs unrelated to their field.
Tropez Posted April 12 Posted April 12 3 hours ago, professor2000 said: College is lowkey a scam anyways lol. And yes, I was crazy enough to pay for Masters at a very expensive private school. So I'm speaking from experience. The degree opened doors for good jobs I guess, but most of my success I attribute to hustling during internships, imo. Anyways…standardized tests don't prove ****. I know people who got damn near perfect SAT + LSAT scores and wasn't able to hang with the big dawgs at their Ivy League universities. Literally dropped out + working local jobs unrelated to their field. Maybe a scam for you. But it was great for me. Once I got my masters I got a massive salary increase. I also had a scholarship. It was overall a huge net positive for me. College perhaps isn't for everyone. But for people like me, it was worth it. 1
professor2000 Posted April 12 Posted April 12 42 minutes ago, Tropez said: Maybe a scam for you. But it was great for me. Once I got my masters I got a massive salary increase. I also had a scholarship. It was overall a huge net positive for me. College perhaps isn't for everyone. But for people like me, it was worth it. Yeah I have a pretty good salary/job, etc…it's just that NYU was so insanely expensive for the actual education I got. My undergrad university was significantly less-known + cheaper, but the education was just as good — if not better, ultimately. Having a well-known university on your resume definitely helps to a certain degree…but I can't say I learned anything more valuable at NYU when it comes to the actual education. I have heard similar stories from other well-known colleges/universities too. But I guess also depends on your school + field of study.
chessguy99 Posted April 13 Posted April 13 22 hours ago, professor2000 said: College is lowkey a scam anyways lol. And yes, I was crazy enough to pay for Masters at a very expensive private school. So I'm speaking from experience. The degree opened doors for good jobs I guess, but most of my success I attribute to hustling during internships, imo. What you forget is those internship were probably secured by where and how well you did in college. Not many companies will give an internship to somebody without documented college success. What college gives companies are people accustomed to dealing with assignment deadlines and an understanding of basic concepts in their field of study. The only scam is the amount they charge for what they provide.
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