With SAT reading scores for the class of 2012 reaching a four-decade low, new questions emerge about the validity and importance of standardized tests in college admissions.
Joseph Soares, a sociology professor at Wake Forest University, is a driving force behind the national movement to rethink college admissions and adopt test-optional admissions policies. His research has shown that high school rank is actually the best predictor of college success, while performance on the standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT are closely linked to race, family income and parental educational level. He is the author of SAT Wars and The Power of Privilege.
Though a recent Los Angeles Times editorial points to colleges becoming more flexible with SAT requirements, Wake Forest University remains the only top-30 national university to become test-optional, focusing instead on high school transcripts, extracurricular activities and personal interviews. The results speak for themselves, yet Soares questions why more top-tier universities have not joined the movement to more holistic admissions policies.
Soares can speak broadly about standardized tests, alternatives to the SAT and ACT, test-optional admissions policies, the role of race and privilege in standardized tests, and national education policies.
News outlets such as The New York Times, Washington Post, Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, Associated Press and Huffington Post, recently have quoted him and featured his research.
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Katie Neal, [email protected], (336) 758-6141
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