MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has announced its decision to revert to requiring SAT and ACT scores from the applicants, shifting from optional to mandatory criterion for admissions.

Amid the 2020 pandemic, many colleges and universities in the United States had suspended the inclusion of SAT and ACT scores from the application.

MIT also suspended the requirement of SAT or ACT scores for admission, recognizing the pandemic’s negative impact on students’ ability to undertake testing in 2020.

From 2022, applicants to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology should submit their SAT or ACT scores, making it a compulsory component of their application.

MIT has stated three reasons for their decision to reinstate the requirement forSAT or ACT scores.

Firstly, MIT had recognized the fact that students who were accepted with low SAT or ACT scores have struggled academically with college-level coursework and lectures at MIT over the past 15 years.

Therefore, they have objectively checked that the SAT or ACT score relates, and it matters with the college lectures to the students.

Secondly, MIT stated that it’s hard to differentiate students and their abilities only through their GPA and extracurricular activities, as every school has different standards.

Some schools could be very competitive, so it could be hard to get an “A” for each subject.

On the other hand, there could be more lenient schools where students could easily receive “A,” so students cannot be judged only on GPAs and extracurricular activities considering those grading conflicts.

Lastly, MIT is committed to supporting students from diverse backgrounds, no matter their race or social class, and aims to accept a variety of students in different circumstances to include the diversity.

Standardized tests such as SAT or ACT are considered unfair in some ways.

The SAT, also called Scholastic Aptitude Test, is a standardized test mostly used for college admissions in the United States.

It first started in 1926, and it is administered by the College Board.

Most students around the world seeking admissions d to college and universities in the United States prepare for the SAT.

Only in the class of 2023, over 1.9 million high school graduates had taken the SAT.

The SAT assesses students on reading, writing and language, and math, with the perfect score of 1600.

The ACT, also known as American College Testing, is another type of standardized test also used for college admissions in the United States.

The ACT covers English, Mathematics, Reading, and Scientific Reasoning similar to the SAT.

The ACT is scored from 1 to 36, with 36 being the perfect score.

High school students choose to take either SAT and ACT, but it’s still optional.

However some college admissions require scores from those standardized tests.

Critics of the requirement for SAT and ACT scores in college admissions state that only wealthy students from wealthy families get better SAT or ACT scores than any other students including students suffering from financial problems.

They argue that students from wealthy families have more chances of improving or increasing their SAT or ACT scores through separate classes like tutoring and eventually get better scores, which makes it unfair for students not from prestigious families.

However, MIT counters these arguments by pointing out that even though they do look at students’ SAT or ACT scores when it comes to application, 30% of MIT students are black and Latino, 50% are colored races, and 20% receive their financial aid.

As a result, MIT asserts that they do look at students’ standardized test scores like SAT and ACT, but students with diverse races and social classes are accepted to MIT, and they are attending MIT.

Yuna Lee

Grade 9

Jones International Christian School