SAT Scores Beat 'Holistic' Admissions for Fairness, Study Finds

A recent study by economists Raj Chetty, David Deming, and John Friedman reveals that elite colleges give rich applicants a big advantage. They do this through legacy preferences (accepting children of alumni), weighing non-academic credentials like extracurriculars, and athletic recruitment. These factors are not linked to success after college, while SAT scores are. If colleges admitted students based only on SAT scores, the share of students from the top 1% would drop from 15.8% to 9.9%, and more students from families earning under $200,000 would get in. This would happen without hurting later success.

But there's a problem: the SAT and ACT have a ceiling. Many top students get perfect scores, so colleges can't tell who's truly the best. The solution is simple: make the tests harder so no one gets a perfect score, or use other exams like the GRE or AP tests. This would give high-achieving students a way to stand out. It would also shift incentives, making academic excellence matter more.

Critics argue that 'holistic' admissions—looking at the whole person—actually helps the wealthy, who can afford to build impressive resumes. Teens end up stressed, spending summers on activities to craft a 'story' for colleges. The system is rigged, but there's a fix: focus on academics. Standardized tests are not perfect, but they're a fairer way to judge students from all backgrounds.