It appears the University of California at Berkeley is one of only a few institutions to propose eliminating the SAT I as a requirement in the admissions process.
Berkeley would follow the lead of a few smaller institutions, such as Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., which already have abandoned the use of SAT I scores in assessing undergraduate applicants.
Though Berkeley's president Richard Atkinson recently said the SAT I is an unfair assessment of an applicant's ability and is compromising America's educational system, many colleges and universities across the nation say they disagree.
"For the University of Virginia, the SAT is an important factor which we use in making decisions about our applicants," University Dean of Admissions John A. Blackburn said. "I would not favor making it optional, for I strongly believe that all candidates should be evaluated with the same measures."
Blackburn said he believes the University's system remains effective overall.
"We evaluate candidates in a manner which takes many factors into account, with the academic being most important," he said. "Our committee members read applications within the context of each school. We do not use any cutoffs on test scores [or] GPAs but attempt to offer admission to the best qualified candidates in a given year."
Virginia Tech officials also disagree with Atkinson in labeling the SAT I as unfair, said Tech spokesman David Nutter. Nutter said the institution will continue to use this measure as a requirement in the application process.
"Here at Tech we look at many different things, but SATs are the only common denominator," he said. "It is the only way to weigh an 'A' from a school in Virginia against an 'A' from a school in Maryland. We still intend to use it."
In a press release, Robin Mamlet, dean of admission and financial aid at Stanford University, called Atkinson's proposal "misguided."
According to Mamlet, Atkinson's method "will move to a 'more holistic approach' in evaluating admission candidates, as though it is not possible to use standardized tests and review applicants holistically. This is simply illogical," Mamlet said.
Administrators at several universities said they do not foresee other institutions of higher learning following Berkeley's lead.
"It is hard to say, but I think most of my colleagues in admission offices of other highly selective colleges and universities believe the test can be helpful if it is used properly," Blackburn said.
Mamlet said she sees the SAT I as a tool that is an accurate indicator of a student's academic potential.
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