Do Admission Exams Help With Admissions?

After a period of intense uncertainty about the predictive validity of standardized test scores, definitive data has arrived.  But first the news…

NEWS

Go south, young man: Students from the Northeast have been applying to large Southern state schools at ever increasing numbers, presumably for warmer weather, lower tuition, and more exciting football. LSU appears to be the greatest beneficiary so far, with a nearly 500% increase in attendance from northerners since 2014.

Too much is never enough: Bloomberg shared a deep dive into how top colleges have become too pricey even for families in the top 10% of household earners. Is it a flex to make too much to qualify for meaningful aid but not enough to retire early?

Not much is just enough? The middle class income range appears to be broad enough that some families qualify for nothing while others might receive free tuition at 15 well-known colleges. Maybe don’t ask for that raise just yet.

Student loans unforgiven: Remember that lovely dream about student loan forgiveness? A new reality is setting in as loan repayment collections restart May 5. Not the most festive way to celebrate Cinco De Mayo…

BIG IDEA
College Admission Exams Help With College Admissions 🧐

At a time when high school grade inflation is more of a certainty than a suspicion, a move back to requiring or at least strongly recommending college entrance exam scores from most applicants was easy to predict.  Anyone on the outside of the admissions office lacks hard data about how academic readiness is assessed from school to school, but a March 2025 paper provides independent verification of the value of test scores.

The NBER working paper Standardized Test Scores and Academic Performance at Ivy-Plus Colleges shares a finding sure to further roil the raging test optional debate: SAT and ACT scores are four times more predictive of first-year college GPA than high school grades, even after accounting for race, gender, and socioeconomic status.

Contrary to concerns about bias, the research indicates that standardized test scores do not underpredict college performance for students from less advantaged backgrounds. In fact, students with identical test scores tend to achieve similar academic outcomes, regardless of their high school's resources.

High school GPA and course selection will always be first and foremost for most college applications. But as the understanding that school teachers design and administer tests for a host of important educational reasons having nothing to do with college admissions, the value of the assessments designed for that exact purpose becomes more apparent. 

TL;DR–if you’re applying to college, take testing seriously!

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NAME THAT SCHOOL

This week’s institution of higher education is small but mighty. Can you name it? (Find the answer at the end of the newsletter.)

1. Founded in 1813 as a Literary and Theological Institution, the first chartered college in its state.

2. The school’s first classes were held in a building previously used as a stable, which may explain the school’s mascot.

3. The campus Museum of Art is the largest art museum in its state, housing works by Whistler, Homer, and even Rothko. And it’s free and open to the public!

4. Proud to be the first college in the U.S. to become carbon neutral, achieving that status in 2013.

5. Every student is guaranteed access to global experiences, including fully funded January term trips and study abroad programs.

APPLICATION ACTION STEPS

• Order The Official ACT Prep Guide 2025-2026.

• Check out why some teens are getting sleep training.

• Explore AP stats as a viable alternative to AP Calculus.

• Look at why high school athletes might attend junior college.

HOTLINE

What burning questions do you want to ask? What excellent ideas, articles, or resources our readers should know about do you have to share? Dial up the College Eagle Hotline through this easy form. We appreciate you!

ANSWER

Our mystery school is Colby College, a small liberal arts gem tucked into the Maine woods with a big heart, lots of history, and over 80 inches of snow per year. Go Mules!