The College Board, which administers the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the
widely-used college admissions exams, will soon begin factoring in more
than a teenager’s math and verbal skills. The revamped test will give universities
a chance to gain a fuller picture of the applicant’s background by taking into
account 15 factors that address a student’s home life, community and school
system.
According to the College Board, it takes into account the student’s local crime rate, poverty rate, whether the student has a single parent, median income, the availability of Advanced Placement (AP) classes and more.
The overall disadvantage level, scored out of 100, will only be view by universities that have access to a special tool that supplements the exam. Students themselves will not be able to view their own adversity scores.
Fifty schools, ranging from the Ivy League to public universities, tested out the program in its admissions process last year, according to The College Board. An additional 150 schools will use the tool this fall, with more widespread implementation the following year.
“[The score] enables colleges to witness the strength of students in a huge swath of America who would otherwise be overlooked,” College Board CEO David Coleman said in a statement. “There is talent and potential waiting to be discovered in every community.”
The changes are designed to help level the playing field in college admissions by taking into account some of the challenges applicants from less privileged backgrounds face.