Harvard cuts test-optional experiment short
The nation’s oldest college has joined a ripple of highly selective private institutions and at least one public flagship university in announcing that it will again require applicants to submit standardized-test scores for undergraduate admissions, beginning in the fall of 2025. Harvard went back on the four-year pause it announced in January 2021, when it said its test-optional policy would apply through the fall of 2026.
Brown University, Dartmouth College, and Yale University have already reversed the test-optional or test-free admissions policies that they adopted during the pandemic. Last month, the University of Texas at Austin also said it would revert to its previous policy.
This time Harvard is following a trend, not taking the lead. The institution’s name and reputation are often seen as being synonymous with higher education writ large. Because of that, other selective institutions are likely to follow, arguing that such scores help them identify “diamonds in the rough” — those promising students who lack the resources to participate in extracurricular activities that help their applications stand out. This is all part of the ongoing debate over whether standardized testing improves or undermines educational opportunity for underrepresented and low-income students.
The announcement follows months of turmoil for Harvard. Its former president Claudine Gay resigned amid allegations of plagiarism and following criticism of her sometimes equivocal responses to questions about antisemitism during a congressional hearing. Outspoken critics and some alumni have accused Harvard of lowering its academic standards to accommodate diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Applications have fallen for the coming year, fueling concerns that reputational damage is taking its toll.
Remember, context: The Ivy League is important, but it only enrolls a fraction of 1 percent of the nation’s undergraduates. Most colleges are not selective in their admissions, even those that do require test scores. A Chronicle analysis found that eight out of 10 test-optional colleges admit at least 60 percent of applicants.
The big question: Is Harvard’s renewed embrace of standardized-test scores a bellwether for other colleges or simply a return to the status quo?
Chronicle out and about
Will you be at one of these meetings this week or next? Please come say 👋 hello.
- The American Association of Colleges and Universities’ Conference on General Education, Pedagogy, and Assessment: Today, on Friday, April 12, at the afternoon plenary, our senior writer Beth McMurtrie will moderate a panel about student perspectives on the undergraduate experience.
- ASU + GSV Summit: On Monday, April 15, our deputy managing editor Ian Wilhelm will discuss with the futurist Bryan Alexander the evolution of generative AI in academic institutions. And on Tuesday, April 16, Ian and our senior writer Goldie Blumenstyk will examine the latest higher-ed trends along with Nancy Gonzales, executive vice president and provost at Arizona State University.
- HBCU Engage: On Wednesday, April 17, our senior editor Alex Kafka will discuss growing a robust research enterprise with senior administrators for research at Howard University, Morgan State University, and the University of the District of Columbia.
Quote of the day
“I cannot even buy a used car.”
—An assistant teaching professor who earns $44,000 a year and is repaying student loans after working in higher ed for two decades and then earning a Ph.D.
That person is one of approximately 400 readers who responded to a recent opinion essay by the higher-education scholar Kevin R. McClure, arguing that employees in the sector are justifiably exasperated with “astonishingly low” pay.
Frustrated work force: As readers shared their perspectives, what stood out to our associate editor Eugene McCormack was “the struggle people had with reconciling the feeling that their jobs were meaningful and necessary with the reality that their institutions were consistently letting them down and disrespecting them.” He also noted “disillusionment from workers that the normal things you would think would lead to better pay — a title promotion, more responsibilities, an additional degree — often don’t work out as expected in higher ed.”
New salary data:
Weekend reads