Testing as a reality check for college readiness

“Should we make reservations at Halvorson’s?” is a common question when it is University of Vermont graduation weekend.

Although reservations are not required, it is probably a good idea to nab a table to beat the Catamount rush on Church Street.

Like limited seating at Halvorson’s, college applications are also increasingly competitive. This January, Forbes reported that the 2024-25 application cycle showed these increases: 7 percent more applications, 2 percent more colleges each student applied to and 5 percent more students applying to college. With more applications and limited spots, having test scores can help a student nab an acceptance to their favorite college and thrive in the classroom.

Sadly, the national average of test scores continues to plummet. In January, the Wall Street Journal explained the testing results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The report shows that test scores were declining even before the pandemic and continue to fall.

Nationally, only 67 percent of eighth graders and 60 percent of fourth graders score a basic or better reading level, which is a near-record low. With math, eighth grade scores were flat, while fourth grade had a minor uptick. Results were substantially below pre-pandemic benchmarks.

The Vermont Agency of Education reported in January that scores for Vermont students in the fourth and eighth grade significantly declined from the prepandemic 2019 to current performance.

By being woefully underprepared with basic skills, students’ high school test scores continue to decline. Girls’ scores dropped sharply to their lowest levels since 2019. Boys’ have also fallen, but not as steeply as girls’. The Wall Street Journal reported in January that girls have not recovered from pandemic learning loss and are erasing the longstanding improvements they were achieving.

“This not only hurts girls now — it will change college enrollment; it will change the talent pool we have,” explained Harry Patrinos, the University of Arkansas chair in education policy.

Vermont’s SAT results continue to hover in the 50th percentile of test takers, equivalent to a 2.7 GPA.

The SAT Suite Participation Summary compared 2024 test takers to the 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Vermont showed a 34.8-percent decrease in testing: 43 percent of Vermont students for the class of 2024, down from 66 percent in 2019.

Nationally, there was a 19 percent increase in SAT testing: 1.97 million students in 2024, up from 1.6 million in 2019, according to the College Board, who administers the SAT.

Last March, the Washington Post reported that students taking the SAT continue to increase each year since 2020.

For the 2024-25 application cycle, the SAT reported a national 3-percent increase in taking the exam for the class of 2024 compared to the class of 2023.

Why are so many Vermont high school students not taking standardized tests or diligently preparing for them? During the 2020 pandemic, most high schools were not open to proctor the exams. Most colleges responded by becoming test optional. Although standardized testing returned in 2021, the test-optional movement continued.

The University of Vermont is test-optional and published its Admitted Student Profile for the fall, 2024. For those submitting SAT and ACT, scores are in the top 10th percentile, equivalent to a 3.7 or higher GPA. With last year’s applicants, 57 percent of admitted students did not submit scores.

According to Opportunity Insights, an educational research non-profit, standardized test scores can be a better predictor of college student achievement than GPA. The report compared performance gaps of admitted students who submitted scores to those who did not.

During the 2024-25 application cycle, Dartmouth, Brown, Yale, University of Texas-Austin and University of Tennessee all required scores. They join MIT and Georgetown, who reverted to being test-required for the 2021-22 admissions cycle.

Whether to take tests and submit scores can depend on the student’s academic program of interest. Last March, The Wall Street Journal profiled Quinnipiac University, which is test-optional, test-recommended or test-required, depending on the applicant’s intended major. Submitting scores can be essential to compete in highly competitive majors like engineering and business.

Preparing for standardized testing may seem optional, but analyzing test scores can be helpful in identifying academic gaps to improve upon. School is a journey, where learning loss is a speed bump to recognize and overcome.

Like making a restaurant reservation, test scores can be useful for college applications in both getting into and succeeding in college.

(Margo Bartsch founded College Essay Coach, a full-service college admission business, and has been an adjunct professor in business at Champlain College and at Middlebury College.)