The SAT and ACT, standardized tests used in college applications, have benefited those emerging from institutions such as UPrep since its creation. According to the National Education Association, Carl Brigham invented the SAT in the 1920s to keep non-white students out of the American higher education system. 

During the pandemic, colleges went test-optional to make the system more equitable. However, according to a study from Dartmouth, making the SAT optional prevented a large number of students from diverse backgrounds from being admitted. 

There seems to be no universally right answer to whether the tests should be mandatory or not. So as colleges switch back and forth between formats, we need to adjust with them. 

A standardized test is meant to fairly assess students by giving them the same questions, calculators and time limits. However, the SAT has failed to equalize one major factor when students sit down to take the test: privilege. 

According to a 2023 study conducted by Harvard researchers, the children of the wealthiest one percent of America are 13 times more likely to score 1300 or higher on the SAT/ACT. In the study, they determined that the difference in scores comes from the ability of wealthy families to send their children to well-funded schools where they receive the best education. 

Wealthy families can also spend thousands of dollars to pay for a tutor to raise their child’s score by more than 100 points. 

While not everyone has a tutor, all UPrep students have access to consistently difficult classes and helpful college counselors who help each individual to the fullest. 

Therefore, as colleges move back and forth between mandatory testing and optional, we should be patient and understanding. Despite optional testing making it harder for UPrep students, due to raising the median for scores submitted, the system that we have thrived on for almost a century cannot be disregarded. 

Even if optional testing raises the median score substantially, this challenge is nowhere near the steep task of taking a test where the people next to you have been given a cheat sheet.