Opinion: So Dartmouth will require the SAT again. Here’s what really matters for Californians seeking degrees
LA TimesDartmouth College announced last week it will reinstate a standardized test requirement beginning with the next application cycle, for the class of 2029. Dartmouth’s decision last week to reinstate its SAT or ACT requirement for admissions, and recent coverage extolling the benefits of standardized testing in predicting college success, have thrust testing into higher education news yet again. The extent to which the SAT predicts college success or helps identify exceptional students is a debate that, like many concerns in pre-pandemic America, needs to be retired — or at least reconsidered in light of higher education’s current struggles. Nationally, only about 6 in 10 students who enter college ever earn a credential or a degree in six years, and far fewer graduate on time, the National Student Clearinghouse found. While it may not be gaining federal traction, at least 32 states have some form of free college, including California Promise programs that support more than 1 million students annually in the Golden State.
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