President of College Board Tapped to Oversee 2025-26 FAFSA Strategy
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education named an Executive Advisor for the rollout of the 2025-26 FAFSA form: Jeremy Singer, the current president of the College Board. His job will be to lead the overall strategy of next year’s launch and “to further enhance FSA’s technical and operational capabilities.” Mr. Singer will take a temporary leave from his position at the College Board to exercise his duties for the FAFSA. According to U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, “Jeremy brings deep experience having successfully led the development and introduction of major technology innovations in education, which will be integral to…ensuring millions of students and families can easily access the federal financial aid they are entitled to.”
Takeaways:
The U.S. D.O.E.’s press release tried to mitigate the disastrous launch of this year’s Better FAFSA by reiterating the “extraordinary challenges” faced by the department, including the fact that decades-old systems needed “to be rebuilt from the ground up.” However, the department did concede that “the expansive scope and timeline of the changes for the 2024-25 FAFSA has been challenging for students, families, institutions, states, and organizations that support them.” Looking ahead to 2025-26, the department promises to conduct “listening sessions” to source ways to better support stakeholders in the process.
U.S. Department of Education Announces Jeremy Singer as FAFSA Executive Advisor in the Office of Federal Student Aid (US Department of Education Press Release) – 6/14/24
Question of the week: Is the SAT/ACT concordance table still relevant?
While comparing students’ SAT and ACT diagnostic results to make recommendations for which test is a better individual fit, we’ve noticed an interesting trend: the most recently released SAT and ACT percentiles no longer align with the SAT/ACT concordance table released in 2018.
For example, the concordance table equates a 740 SAT Math score to a 33 on ACT Math. However, that 740 now falls in the 94th SAT user percentile, while a 94th percentile Math score on the ACT is a 29. A 33 is now in the 99th percentile.
There are important implications for this discrepancy. If admissions offices use the concordance table, ACT scores may be undervalued while SAT scores benefit; if updated percentiles are used, SAT scores may seem less competitive while ACT scores benefit.
We are working on a blog post for a deeper dive into the available data and what this means for students and need your help—in your experience, are admissions offices still using the concordance table when considering test scores, or are they using the updated percentiles? Thanks for any possible insights!
JD-Next Gains Traction as an LSAT Alternative
JD-Next, the University of Arizona-developed alternative to the LSAT, has been embraced by five additional law schools: Fordham, University of Illinois, DePaul University, University of Arkansas, and the University of St. Thomas. The American Bar Association granted these schools permission to use JD-Next earlier this month. The number of institutions that allow applicants to use the online course and test to bypass LSAT or GRE scores has thus increased to 57 schools. This number represents roughly one-fourth of the 197 ABA-accredited law schools.
Takeaways:
JD-Next is an eight-week online course that culminates in a law-school style exam. The JD-Next website describes the program as follows: “students develop skills reading cases, analyzing case law, spotting issues, and writing clearly…Students learn through modeling, coaching, and instant feedback…while practicing the self-assessment skills and deliberate practice necessary to excel at law school.” Supporters of the JD-Next program claim that it can identify law school candidates as well as the LSAT without replicating the latter’s disparity in scores along racial lines. JD-Next thus provides the possibility of a different path to admissions as law schools are looking to recruit a more diverse candidate pool.
LSAT alternative gains popularity as more law schools sign on (Reuters) – 6/13/24
Report Shows Consistent Applicant Behavior Following End of Affirmative Action
According to a report released last week by the Common Application, the behavior of college applicants in the 2023-24 cycle did not significantly differ from that of previous years. Therefore, the report concluded, the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision to reverse affirmative action in June of last year did not affect applicant behavior “in clear or pronounced ways.” The Common Application organization analyzed over 6 million U.S. applicants over the last five years as part of its methodology.
Takeaways:
Some findings from the report about the 2023-24 application cycle are detailed below:
- There were no “meaningful derivations” from previous years in terms of the number of applications submitted by students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
- Moreover, there was no significant difference in percentage of applicants in racial/ethnic subgroups that applied to the most selective or most sought-after institutions,
- There were no substantial changes found in how applicants self-reported along racial or ethnic lines.
- There was no disparity in the average diversity of the Common App’s applicant pools except for a potential minor decrease in the number of Asian American students in the applicant pools of the most selective colleges and universities. This statistic, however, was deemed inconclusive, due to the “small magnitude relative to the inherent noisiness” of the data.
- Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision there has not been an increase in applicants writing about their race and ethnicity in their application essays—in fact, in 2023-24, only 12 percent of students who identified as being from an underrepresented minority group used terms in their essays that are “unambiguously tied to discussion of racial/ethnic identity”, compared to 16 percent of students who used similarly defined terms in the 2020-21 cycle.
Interesting findings aside, it is important to distinguish that this report focused solely on applicant behavior, not on that of colleges and universities. Thus, there is no clear affirmation that students were not affected by the Court’s decision. Additionally, a recent survey by college- and scholarship-search tool Niche, concluded that the majority (55 percent) of applicants in the 2023-24 cycle were unaware of the Court’s decision when they applied. Consequently, it will be important to see if data that will be collected over the next few years will signal a more pronounced shift in applicant behavior.
After the End of Race-Conscious Admissions, Application Trends Didn’t Shift. But the Analysis Has Just Begun. (The Chronicle of Higher Education) – 6/12/24
“Test-Optional” May Not Be Quite That
In an op-ed published in Inside Higher Ed, David Blobaum, the director of outreach for the National Test Prep Association and the co-founder of tutoring company Summit Prep, argues that it is in college hopefuls’ best interests to submit test scores, even if a school does not require them.
When accepting – or rejecting – applicants, admissions departments cite often-clandestine “institutional priorities” having to do with students’ backgrounds or areas of expertise. According to Mr. Blobaum, however, “Rhetoric and reality often diverge.”
He contends, unequivocally, that “test-optional institutions have a preference for students with high test scores” and that students applying to test-optional colleges and universities are less likely to be admitted if they do not submit test scores. “If a college does not value SAT or ACT scores, then the college would not use those scores.”
Citing data from Dartmouth’s watershed report, which led the institution to return to test-mandatory admissions, Mr. Blobaum argues that traditionally marginalized students have the most to gain from submitting test scores: “a disadvantaged student with an SAT score between 1450 and 1490 is 3.7 times more likely to get admitted if they submit their score than if they withhold it.”
Takeaways:
To support his argument, Mr. Blobaum explores a few key examples of elite institutions that recently were or currently are test-optional:
- Yale had a three times higher admit rate (6 percent vs. 2 percent) for students who submitted test scores over the past several years compared to those who didn’t.
- According to Cornell’s internal research, “submitting test scores significantly increases the likelihood of admission (to its) test-optional colleges.” The institution labeled it “prudent” for students to include test scores with their application package.
- Even though Duke claims that choosing to not submit SAT or ACT scores “will not impact (a student’s) admissions decision,” 81 percent of new enrolled students at Duke submitted some combination of SAT and ACT. Furthermore, Duke’s admission website goes as far as advising students to “buy a study guide and begin taking practice SAT or ACT tests.”
These examples are compelling, indeed, and standardized test scores can certainly act as key differentiators between candidates who are otherwise qualified for limited class seats. These differentiators are particularly important for hyper-selective schools where the ratio between applicants and enrollment offers is especially stark.
Mr. Blobaum approached this topic with an eye toward the most-elite institutions; his observations, therefore, despite their potential relevance at Ivy Plus schools, may not capture the admissions landscape at less selective – but still excellent – colleges and universities. Furthermore, Mr. Blobaum’s argument sometimes strays from hard data; he, perhaps controversially, claims that admissions departments “often outright lie” and bases some of his reasoning on the fact that “it is just common sense.”
Denied? That Top College Lied (Inside Higher Ed) – 6/10/24
Stanford Returns to Test-Required Admissions
Last week Stanford University announced that it will return to a test-mandatory policy in its admissions process. Stanford will remain test-optional for this cycle, but applicants in fall 2025 and beyond will need to include SAT or ACT as part of their admissions package. According to university officials, the admissions team conducts a holistic review of each candidate, and “academic potential is the primary criterion for admission.” Standardized test performance is only one part of that holistic process; nonetheless, it is characterized as an “important predictor of academic performance at Stanford.”
Takeaways:
Stanford joins a small but growing list of elite institutions – many of the “Ivy Plus” schools – in reinstating SAT/ACT testing requirements. Most recently, the University of Texas at Austin and the California Institute of Technology returned to test-mandatory admissions. At present only about 6 percent of the top 500 U.S. colleges and universities require testing, but most of those few dozen schools come with a high profile, and their policies could act as a lodestar for other institutions still undecided on the future of their admissions requirements.
Stanford will resume standardized test requirement for undergraduate admission (Stanford Report) – 6/7/24
Diversity Statements No Longer Required at Harvard’s Faculty of Arts & Sciences
Harvard’s largest division, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, will no longer require diversity statements from job applicants as part of its hiring process. Instead, finalists for all positions will need to submit a service statement in which they detail their “efforts to strengthen academic communities,” as well as a teaching and advising statement on how they will cultivate a “learning environment in which students are encouraged to ask questions and share their ideas.” Previously, all applicants – not just finalists – would need to submit diversity statements: 1-2 page “polished narrative statements” detailing their “efforts to encourage diversity, inclusion, and belonging, including past, current, and anticipated future contributions in these areas.”
Takeaways:
This latest move comes a week after Harvard announced a school-wide policy of “institutional neutrality,” in which the school will no longer take official positions on matters that are not “relevant to the core function of the university.” It is not a leap in logic to deduce that Harvard is, in part, responding to the outside scrutiny the university has been under – especially since the start of the war in Gaza. Diversity statements have been a favored target of “anti-woke” “ideologues” who have catastrophized such prerequisites, but requiring these statements has also divided Harvard faculty internally. While some stand by diversity statements as a means to attract faculty, staff, and students that are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, others contend that obligating such statements forces candidates to declare support for an institution viewpoint. Furthermore, some question the usefulness of a statement that can so easily be gamed. With hope, the new service and teaching and advising statements will provide a credible means to identify candidates who will support students and the greater community with an eye to inclusion and equity.
Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences Will No Longer Require Diversity Statements (The Harvard Crimson) – 6/4/24
Oakland SAT Tech Failure Shines a Light on Further Local Complications
The June 1st administration of the SAT was canceled at one Oakland test center due to wi-fi issues. The Marriott Hotel in Downtown had already begun administering the test when it encountered connectivity issues, which, by 11:15am, proved irreparable. 1,400 students were affected by this sudden cancellation. One of these affected students is petitioning the College Board to offer a make-up administration at her high school: “It’s really hard for a lot of people to get slots….(it will be) extremely difficult for most of those students to find a testing center to take the SAT at the next available date, August 24.” Currently, it looks as though the June date will not be rescheduled.
Takeaways:
This botched administration comes at a difficult time for Bay Area students, who have already been having difficulty signing up for the exam. With the University of California system no longer requiring (or even looking at) test scores, there is less pressure on local schools to host the SAT. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced the closure of some other businesses that historically host the exam. This year, there are fewer than half the number of SAT testing centers in California than there were prior to the pandemic, according to data from the College Board. Subsequently, families have reported being unable to sign up for SAT or ACT seats within 100 miles of their homes, leading students without the means to travel or stay overnight to be shut out of sitting for these tests.
After Oakland SAT Debacle, Student Petitions East Bay High School to Host Test (KQED) – 6/3/24
FAFSA Fiasco Puts Smaller Colleges and Universities in Financial Peril
With the spring 2004 enrollment deadline passed, U.S. colleges and universities have survived the disastrous rollout of the “Better FAFSA” for now; however, the mishandling of this process will likely have lasting consequences. As of May 24th, 14.4 percent fewer students – nearly 300,000 fewer individuals – completed the form compared to last year. Although these numbers don’t directly reflect the number of students matriculating, FAFSA completion and enrollment share a strong correlation. Some higher ed professionals estimate that FAFSA issues will have caused some institutions to see between a 10 and 20 percent decline in students entering the 2028 class. Fewer students means less revenue, which could be disastrous for the many institutions surviving on extremely narrow margins.
Takeaways:
This loss in tuition revenue will be especially difficult for smaller, tuition-dependent colleges. While those with big names and large endowments will not be as affected by this decline, less well-known schools and those that serve specific regions will be put under significant financial pressure. According to Jon Boeckenstedt, vice provost for enrollment management at Oregon State University, this impending enrollment decline “could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for some schools.” Most institutions will not know how much they are affected by this looming crisis until their fall enrollment census in August or September; for some that will be too late to make the necessary financial adjustments. We will follow this story as we move into the fall.
Will the FAFSA Fiasco Kill Off Some Colleges? (Inside Higher Ed) – 6/3/24
Yale Appoints Its 24th President
This past week, Yale University announced that Dr. Maurie McInnis, Ph.D. will serve as its next president. Dr. McInnis is described by the presidential search committee, who approved her unanimously, as “a compelling leader, distinguished scholar, and devoted educator (who) brings…a deep understanding of higher education and an unwavering commitment to (Yale’s) mission and academic priorities.” McInnis is the current president of Stony Brook University and a prominent scholar in the cultural history of American art, focused on the Colonial and Antebellum South. She is also a Yale graduate, having earned her M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. at the university. She will assume office on July 1st of this year.
Takeaways:
Yale’s current president, Dr. Peter Salovney, announced in September 2023 that he would be stepping down this month after serving for 11 years and doubling Yale’s endowment to over $40 billion. At Stony Brook, Dr. Maurie McInnis secured over $1 billion for the university during her four-year tenure. Dr. McInnis will become Yale’s second female leader, following Dr. Hanna Holborn Gray, who served as acting president of the university from 1977 to 1978.
Maurie McInnis named Yale’s next president (Yale) – 5/29/24
Harvard to Embrace “Institutional Neutrality”
On Tuesday of last week, Harvard University announced that the institution would no longer take official positions on matters that are not “relevant to the core function of the university.” This policy change comes after a report produced by the “Institutional Voice” working group, a faculty-led committee that was established in April by Interim Harvard President Alan Garber, mostly embraced the concept of “institutional neutrality.” Moving forward, the university will no longer issue “official statements of empathy,” after key domestic or international events, as has recently been Harvard’s policy. According to the report, “In issuing official statements of empathy, the university runs the risk of appearing to care more about some places and events than others,” and, thus, the statements have the unintended potential consequence of alienating certain students.
Takeaways:
This policy change, of course, is not happening in a vacuum. Harvard has been under intense scrutiny for its response to Hamas’ October 7th attacks and subsequent Israeli military actions. A perceived lack of action by Harvard over campus antisemitism led, in great part, to the resignation of former president Claudine Gay – and the establishment of this Institutional Voice working group. It is important to note that one of the university’s most recent official statements of empathy was for the victims of the October 7th attacks.
According to Harvard Law Professor and co-chair of the committee, Noah Feldman, “Harvard isn’t a government…it shouldn’t have a foreign policy or a domestic policy.” In the future, the university will only weigh in on social and political issues that directly affect the function of the university (e.g. the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action ruling) or, according to the report, to “defend (itself) against forces that seek to undermine (its) academic values.” The report elaborated: “There will be close cases where reasonable people disagree about whether a given issue is or is not directly related to the core function of the university…the university’s policy in those situations should be to err on the side of avoiding official statements.”
Harvard Says It Will No Longer Take Positions on Matters Outside of the University (NY Times) – 5/28/24
California Bill Floats Financial Penalties For Legacy Admissions
Last week, the California State Assembly passed bill AB 1780, which would penalize California’s private universities for giving preferential status to applicants with ties to alumni or donors. If the bill is passed into law, any private university in the state who engages in legacy preferences and receives Cal Grant student financial aid funding will be fined an amount equal to the amount the institution received from the program in the previous year. The bill will move to the state senate for consideration and then, if passed there, to Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) for final approval.
Takeaways:
Assemblyman Philip Ting (D-San Francisco) who first introduced the bill in a more extreme form – the aforementioned universities would lose Cal Grant funding if caught using legacy preferences – in January. According to Ting, “Everyone should be considered fairly. If you work hard, get good grades and have a well-rounded background, your spot should not be taken by someone else just because their family can write a big check or is a graduate of that school..if we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field.” We will follow this bill as it gets closer to becoming law; it will also be interesting to see if other states move to impose financial penalties on private higher education institutions based on admissions policies.
California Moves A Step Closer To Banning Legacy Admission Preferences (Forbes) – 5/28/24
Valuable Insight On the Higher Education Admissions Process
Adam Ingersoll, co-founder of Compass Education Group, sat down with education consultant Jon Burdick to discuss the admissions and testing landscape. Mr. Burdick has nearly 40 years of experience in higher education and is the former Vice Provost for Enrollment at Cornell University and former Dean of Admissions at University of Rochester. He offered valuable insight into the current higher education admissions process.
Some key takeaways:
- Admission departments tend to be “risk averse” and aim to duplicate past success.
- The goals of admissions departments are “always meritocratic;” they set out to implement fair processes, but budgets, institutional values, and other commitments tend to have an impact on how truly equitable the process can be.
- A “holistic” reading process of applications, in which admissions officers can take a nuanced look at candidates, will only happen after applications are viewed and sorted based on enrollment goals from official institutional authority. Some “bottom lines” that institutions are generally looking for are as follows: financial aid; diversity; athletics; and populating specific majors, skills and geographies.
- It is very tough to differentiate between great students with high grades, difficult curriculum, etc. Therefore, colleges and universities tend to want clarity from students: who they are, what they want to do, what they’re good at.
- Student engagement is also paramount. Even schools that claim not to weigh a student’s demonstrated interest in an institution use other means to measure that interest. Yield – the percent of admitted students who end up enrolling – is an important metric for colleges and a driving factor for the importance of measuring demonstrated interest. Jon Burdick claims that he has been hearing “first-hand from Harvard for 20 years” about the importance of yield. According to Burdick, “if demonstrated interest didn’t matter, there wouldn’t be supplemental essays.”
Takeaways:
Mr. Burdick also took a look ahead to the future of college admissions, for which there is an enrollment crisis on the horizon:
- Although there is currently a latent enrollment upswing in many states, enrollment numbers are predicted to plummet.
- Over the next 10-15 years, with fewer college-age students (barring big changes to immigration policies), there will not be a U.S. state in which institutions will have more students to choose from. Thus, regardless of high tuition rates, the total amount of money institutions will receive is expected to substantially decline.
- This trend will be more impactful for non-profit colleges and universities that are not at the upper echelon (i.e. Ivy-Plus institutions)
- There will also be increased pressure on U.S. colleges to keep their costs low as the higher education market becomes more global. As international universities, which tend to have a much lower price point for the consumer, gain greater prominence in the United States, American institutions will need to be creative in order to keep top student talent from choosing an option overseas.
The Past, Present, and Future of Admission Testing: A Counselor Symposium (Compass Education Group Symposium) – 5/21/24
In Stunning Reversal of Precedent, College Athletes Will Be Compensated
Last week the “power five” athletic conferences (Atlantic Coast, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, and Southeastern Conferences) reached an agreement with the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) to allow college athletes to receive pay directly from the institutions they play for. This is a watershed moment in college sports, breaking over 100 years of precedent. In order to be finalized, the agreement must be approved by the federal judge who is overseeing the case, the act of which could take months. Once approved, the settlement would mandate over $2.75 billion to be distributed to athletes who competed prior to July 2021 and, moving forward, allow each “power five” school to annually distribute up to $20 million directly to athletes.
Takeaways:
Until this groundbreaking agreement is signed and put into practice, some key questions still remain:
- Will all athletes be compensated? Each school will have latitude on how they distribute the $20 million, which will likely mean that not all athletes will be compensated. Players of revenue-generating sports – those that are broadcast and bring in advertising dollars – will be prioritized.
- Will women and men be paid equally? Whether this agreement falls under the umbrella of Title IX (which ensures equal protection for female athletes) is still unclear, and will need to be worked out in litigation.
- Will the settlement extend beyond the “power five”? One concern over this settlement is whether smaller schools will have an even more difficult time in competing with larger, richer institutions like those in the “power five.” It is expected that schools outside the five major conferences will be able to opt in once the agreement is signed and the details become clearer.
What we know and what we don’t about a historic settlement to pay college athletes (NPR) – 5/24/24
Post-Pandemic Shift: Same GPA, Different Rates of Remedial Course Placements
According to a study by the ACT, students who matriculated between 2019 and 2021 (AKA the “COVID cohort”) were more likely to be placed in remedial or developmental courses based on their high school GPA than similar students with the same high school GPA who enrolled in college before the pandemic. ACT research scientist Edgar I. Sanchez interpreted this trend as a suggestion that “colleges might be adjusting their interpretation of high school grades due to grade inflation.”
Takeaways:
ACT scores, on the other hand, were seemingly immune from this trend: there was very little difference found in the numbers of students before and after the onset of the pandemic who were placed in developmental courses as long as they had the same ACT composite score. The study concluded that iIncreases in ACT Composite score were interpreted by colleges as an increase in college course readiness.” Though one must take the source of this interpretation with a grain of salt, the conclusions of this study paint an interesting picture of a shifting admissions landscape.
‘COVID Cohort’ of College Students More Likely to Be Placed in Developmental Courses Than Students Who Matriculated Prior to Pandemic (ACT Blog) – 5/22/24
Earning Potential Higher for Graduates of Ivy Plus Schools
Although there are a multitude of amazing higher education institutions operating in the United States that provide diverse benefits to a variety of students, highly-selective institutions, particularly the Ivy League, can offer certain advantages in future earning potential and – by some metrics – career success. Princeton, Harvard, and Yale – as well as MIT, Caltech, and Stanford – appear in the top 10 on the Times Higher Education 2023-2024 Global Employability University Ranking. Furthermore, a recent study by (Harvard-based) Opportunity Insights suggested that a graduate of an Ivy Plus school (the eight Ivy League institutions and highly selective private counterparts such as Stanford, MIT, Caltech, University of Chicago, Duke, and Johns Hopkins) has triple the chance of working for a prestigious firm than a graduate of a highly-selective public university. The networks provided by top-tier institutions were found to be especially helpful in securing their graduates’ employment opportunities. Data from the U.S. Department of Education reports that graduates from Ivy League institutions have higher earnings than peers who graduate in the top 10% from other colleges and universities, with a median annual salary of over $25,000 higher.
Takeaways:
There are some metrics, however, by which hyper-selective schools may fall short. When it comes to student satisfaction and potential to flourish, the Ivy League will not be the right fit for many students. Ivy League hopefuls and their families should be self-effacing on whether or not the academic rigors, small campus sizes, culture, and locations of these institutions resonate with their higher education goals. Furthermore, depending on a student’s course of study, they could be better served by a more specialized institution such as a research university or a conservatory. That being said, families should be aware of the financial opportunities that a highly-selective institution has the potential to provide. Although an Ivy League education certainly does not equate to career success, the finding that graduates of the most selective private U.S. colleges and universities are 60 percent more likely to reach the top 1 percent of earrings distribution provides a powerful argument, indeed.
Does It Really Matter Where You Go To College? Financially, It Does (Forbes) – 5/20/24
Documents Reveal Early Warnings of FAFSA Complications to Top DOE Officials
The New York Times obtained documents and internal emails, which reveal that Department of Education officials had been warned as early as 2020 about the complexity and time-intensiveness of a FAFSA overhaul. These communications include strong suggestions from the Federal Student Aid office that the congress-mandated 2022 deadline (which was later moved to October 2023) was too aggressive. Undersecretary James Kvaal and deputy undersecretary Benjamin Miller were among the top officials who received these communications.
Takeaways:
Although the revelation of early warnings of potential rollout complications is not damning in and of itself, some of the advice included in these communications may result in further scrutiny of the Department of Education. Communications stated that getting the form ready by 2022 was “next to impossible” and that a “more realistic implementation time frame would be the 2024-2025 cycle.” The U.S. Government Accountability Office is currently pursuing an investigation of the Department of Education concerning the rollout of the Better FAFSA, in particular the department’s management of contractors on the project. Hundreds of thousands of fewer students filled out the FAFSA this year, which some fear may lead to an enrollment crisis.
Top Education Officials Were Warned of FAFSA Overhaul Hurdles in 2020 (NY Times) – 5/20/24
ACT Becomes the Official Test Prep Provider for Illinois School System
The Illinois State Board of Education announced that, beginning in the spring of 2025, it will require high school juniors to take the ACT as a graduation requirement. Illinois awarded the ACT company a $53 million contract to provide this service through 2031. This change in policy ends eight years of Illinois requiring its students to take the SAT in order to graduate. According to the chairman of the Board of Education, the decision to switch to the ACT “came down to price.”
Takeaways:
In recent years, the ACT has shifted its strategy to focus on school partnerships and direct (school-day) testing. It is important to note that, this month, the ACT company closed on its merger with private equity firm Nexus Capital Management, which bought the test-prep company in April. As a for-profit company, the ACT will, plausibly, have the capital to expand its reach and potentially outbid the SAT for further opportunities like the Illinois contract. According to a statement ACT board chairman Daniel Domenech following the merger, “The time is right to move into the next phase of ACT’s long-term growth strategy alongside a partner with significant industry expertise, giving ACT the scale and capital necessary to deliver on its promise of education and workplace success.”
Illinois Adopts ACT as Graduation Requirement (Inside Higher Ed) – 5/17/24
President of California University Retires After Suspension
Mike Lee, the president of Sonoma State University, abruptly announced his retirement this past week. His announcement came days after he was placed on administrative leave for “insubordination” following concessions Lee made to pro-Palestinan camus protestors, including the promise of divestment from Israeli weapons manufacturers. According to California State University Chancellor Mildred García, Lee’s guarantees came without “appropriate approvals,” and so he would be disciplined. Mike Lee had been president of the university for just 22 months; he had previously worked in various capacities at Sacramento State. Nathan Evans, the former vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs for the school, will serve as acting president until a permanent replacement is named.
Takeaways:
This case marks the most extreme punishment a university president has faced for their response to campus unrest surrounding the war in Gaza. Among the concerns raised by critics of Lee’s concessions was the proposed academic boycott of Israel. One Sonoma State faculty member castigated Lee over this issue, claiming that such a boycott “betrayed the university’s own academic mission and values.” Other faculty members, however, feel that Chancellor García and the university system board overreached, and that Lee did his best in a difficult situation: he “kept people safe, kept the university running.”
California university president retires amid protest backlash (Politico) – 5/17/24
Student Accused of Using Smart Glasses to Cheat on Waseda University Exam
An eighteen-year-old student in Japan is accused of using smart glasses to cheat on the entrance exam to Waseda University, one of the top higher education universities in Tokyo. The student allegedly took photos of the February 16 Waseda chemistry exam using his smart glasses and posted them to social media to ask for solutions. University officials caught the student five days later as he was taking photos of a different entrance exam. The student did not pass either administration.
Takeaways:
The incident at Waseda University is one of three incidents in as many months of inappropriate conduct on high-profile tests. In late April, a group of MBA candidates were accused of cheating on the at-home version of the GRE. This episode involved at least 25 students, and led several business schools to overturn acceptances – and, in the case of Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business, to not accept any further at-home testing. Additionally, earlier this month, there were rumblings of “time zone cheating” on the IB Diploma exams, a practice in which students share exam content to aid students in different time zones. Following an investigation by the International Baccalaureate, “a very small number” students were found to have violated the academic integrity policy, but the organization found no evidence of widespread fraud.
Questions leaked during Waseda University entrance exam using smart glasses (Asian News Network) – 5/16/24
Four More Georgia State Universities To Require SAT/ACT Scores
Four schools in the Georgia state university system – Augusta University, Georgia State University, Georgia Southern University and Kennesaw State University – announced this past week that they will be returning to requiring standardized test scores at part of the admissions process for students applying in 2026 and beyond. These four institutions join the university system’s three most selective schools, the University of Georgia, Georgia College & State University and Georgia Institute of Technology, which also require test scores. The university system board also voted to allow the 19 remaining test-optional schools to choose whether or not to return to requiring SAT or ACT scores. According to system chancellor Sonny Perdue, “The standardized testing will be a great instrument for us to determine the strengths and weaknesses of every student coming in.”
Takeaways:
Nearly every week since Dartmouth College announced its return to test-mandatory admissions in early February, we have seen other prominent colleges and universities make similar announcements. Although one might be tempted to see this trend as a movement toward more widespread reinstatement of testing requirements, many schools are recommitting to test-optional admissions. As different institutions have different needs, it is reasonable to expect that there will not be a one-size-fits-all solution to testing in college admissions anytime soon. That being said, with half of the Ivy League and many other prominent institutions now requiring test scores, the SAT and ACT undoubtedly have more relevance now than they did just three months ago.
Georgia’s university system revives SAT, ACT requirements at 4 more colleges (Higher Ed Dive) – 5/15/24
Written by
Zachary Adler
Since 2010, Zach has been helping students achieve their college readiness goals, specializing in all sections of the SAT, ACT, PSAT, and SHSAT. Prior to joining Onsen, Zach worked for a global investment firm, as well as in various roles in the education space. He has served as a youth mentor and has run college readiness information sessions for students in under-resourced communities. Additionally, Zach is a writer and filmmaker. He is an International Baccalaureate scholar and a graduate of Boston University.