by: the Common Constitutionalist
College may soon become like high school. All you have to do is show up and you’re accepted. How so, you may ask?
It seems many colleges and universities have begun dropping the SAT/ACT requirement for admission. And not just at no-name schools, like Muddy Water State (not a real school). No – major colleges like Columbia and George Washington University have joined over 850 colleges and universities who have curtailed the importance of or outright dropped these standardized tests.
These schools are instead taking a more “holistic” approach when screening students for admission. “When Columbia University took the plunge earlier this summer, dropping the SAT subject tests and SAT and ACT writing portions as application requirements starting next year, it became the first member of the Ivy League to do both.”
George Washington University has dropped testing for most freshman. This is great news for those in high school, no longer having to stress out over there SAT score, or pay again to take it over in an attempt to improve their scores.
But why abandon the time honored standardized test – why after all these years switch to the “holistic” approach?
George Washington Dean of admissions, Karen Felton, summed it up rather nicely. She says the “holistic” approach will, “attract students ‘from all different backgrounds’ who might be discouraged by their low test scores.”
And there it is. As if we didn’t already know. It is as it has been for years in the cloistered, politically correct world of academia. It’s about, and only about, diversity. No – not diversity of thought. That would be substantive. Symbolism is what universities are all about these days. It’s the image of diversity of skin color on campus that is all that matters.
The liberal mantra of symbolism over substance reigns supreme in higher education and every year, more colleges and universities abandoned their charge of higher learning, in favor of the new “Black Lives Matter” approach.
Not that it was needed, but they actually did research. “A Princeton study found that dropping the test requirements would bring forth ‘demonstrable gains’ in the number of black and Latino students who enroll.”
The research showed, “unambiguously that increased racial and socioeconomic diversity can be achieved by switching to test-optional policies,” though the biggest gains come from not looking at standardized scores at all.
The aforementioned Ms. Felton again some things up rather nicely. She said that “It was really about making sure that the right students, students for whom GW would be a great place, were not discouraged from applying.”
Yes – she wouldn’t want to be known as the Dean of Admissions at “Cracker-U.”
To that, let me suggest a new admissions policy. Students will no longer take the racist SAT/ACT. Colleges will cease to consider high school classes taken or Grade Point Average. Instead, the applicant will merely submit a picture of himself, herself or other, captioned with a race(s) classification. If he, she or it is the correct color or race they are automatically admitted.
For whites, the picture must be accompanied by an essay enunciating your regret for your white privilege. If you are convincing and willing to pay reparations to students of color, which can be added to your student loan, you may be considered. Of course, the more you are able to pay, the better your chances.
Sounds absurd? Give it another five years and we will see.