Letter to the Editor: Dean Fitzsimmons on the New SAT

To the editor:

We read with great interest The Crimson’s editorial on the new SAT in last Friday’s edition. As The Crimson rightly points out, there has always been a steep linear correlation between socioeconomic background and test scores. The SAT and the ACT are, in a sense, general lifetime achievement tests affected profoundly by opportunity.

There have been several major changes in the SAT over the past two decades including “re-centering” in the 1990’s and the addition of the writing test a little over a decade ago. Each time the College Board has provided information that helps students, secondary schools, and colleges calibrate the changes relative to the previous version of the test.

Standardized tests are only one of the many factors that we use in our whole-person approach to evaluating applicants. We will continue to monitor regularly the effect of all standardized tests including the new SAT.

The reforms encompassed in the new SAT send an important signal to high school students across America. Students who work hard in the classroom on a daily basis should significantly improve their chances of doing well on the SAT and graduating from the college of their choice. Most important of all, students will be better able to embrace learning in all its forms, from the humanities to the social sciences, the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics.

The College Board’s association with Khan Academy promises to provide additional support for students from all economic backgrounds who wish to prepare in advance for the new SAT. With Khan Academy’s free test-prep, students can acquire the knowledge they need not just to succeed on the test, but to succeed in college and beyond.

We certainly share The Crimson's interest in doing everything possible to level the playing field in standardized testing.

William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 is Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid.