Standardized Testing Post-COVID 19

According to FairTest, over 2/3rds of US colleges and universities are either test-optional or test-blind for Fall 2021 applicants. The inability of students to access ACT or SAT testing sites during the COVID epidemic has driven this decision for the vast majority of schools.

Jon Boeckenstedt, the VP of Enrollment Management at Oregon State, asks in a recent blog post whether returning to the status quo once the epidemic ends is likely or even advisable. His reasoning – colleges across the country cannot afford to ignore the decisions that are being made in California and on the west coast.

He includes in his post a terrific data chart that allows one to see how many first year students matriculated out of California to schools across the country in 2018 (you can actually manipulate the data to see total first year student movement out of any state). Can you guess the #1 destination for students from California in North Carolina? Would you believe that number represents close to 10% of their traditional first year class size and that, before COVID struck, it required an ACT or SAT score to be considered for admission?

It’s a good piece, worth the time both to read and to play with the tableau data chart he produced. Virtual high five for the first person who reports back to me with the out-of-state institution the greatest number of North Carolina first year students matriculated to in 2018! It probably won’t surprise you, but #2 might!