Should standardized tests be mandatory, optional or not considered in college applications?

Alex:

It makes sense for standardized testing to be optional but highly recommended for college applicants. Many colleges and universities have taken this approach in recent years, especially after seeing the effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns. The SAT and ACT advantage students from affluent families, since they’re often able and willing to pay for extensive tutoring, but this advantage is also apparent in academics and athletics. So while they shouldn’t be required for students that don’t have the means to study for them, removing standardized tests in their entirety is not a magical solution to inequality in education. In fact, tests serve an important objective measure of student achievement — even though they may be a pain to study for.

Penelope:

I think we agree on something fundamental, which is that standardized tests benefit the rich. Standardized tests benefit kids from rich neighborhoods who have access to private tutoring, practice tests and extensive educational resources. However, I would disagree that standardized testing should be optional. It should be required for kids who are applying to college. However, I think that colleges should consider it differently than how they currently do. I think colleges should see students’ standardized test scores as a benchmark. For example, if a student is applying to somewhere like Stanford, the benchmark SAT score could be something like a 1500. If students reach that benchmark, Stanford knows that they can handle the rigor of their college curriculum. So students see the standardized test score more as: “Am I capable of actually being able to succeed at this college?” versus competing with other students with their scores. This wouldn’t be a perfect solution however as colleges would still need to acknowledge the resources that the wealthy have access to in order to study for these standardized tests. In an ideal world, standardized testing could be something that’s more like a snapshot of a student’s skills versus a test that they’ve been studying for months.

How should Menlo be presenting the college admissions process to freshmen and sophomores to decrease stress?

Penelope:

Menlo should try to keep the amount of college-talk to a minimum until the end of sophomore year. Even if Menlo tries to do simple things like telling kids about different college options or telling kids what classes they should take to advantage themselves for college admissions, it just puts more stress on kids, and it makes them think more about college in every single decision they have. Then, every single decision they make in high school will revolve around college. That’s not the point of high school. The point of high school is to try new things out, to learn, to grow and to find yourself, and introducing discussions about college too early will destroy that process for kids. 

Alex:

Right now, underclassmen at Menlo are told to not worry about college, as their best path forward is just exploring their interests and everything will work itself out. This approach may look good on paper as a means to decrease stress around college admissions, but it’s left me — and likely many others —  feeling lost and searching for answers. There’s definitely a way to offer information about the process to underclassmen without adding stress — such as deciding class schedules that serve our needs — and I think that meeting with college counselors earlier than our junior year would help lay out a roadmap for the journey ahead. That way, I and my fellow classmates would feel less of a need for outside counselors to help with the process and clear up our questions.

Penelope:

I actually do agree with you on that. Should a student want it, discussions about college should happen towards the end of their sophomore year. What Menlo currently does, which is assigning the counselor at the end of sophomore year and offering students the opportunity to meet with them, is a good balance. The school should offer the counselor as a resource, something to take if students want to, but it shouldn’t be required. 

Should Menlo be encouraging AP classes as a way for students to increase their GPA and boost their chances of getting into college?

Alex:

It’s simply each individual’s decision — but yes, I believe that AP classes are a positive opportunity for ambitious students to bolster both their knowledge and transcript. While my teachers have discussed discontent in the administration over AP classes and tests, learning from a set curriculum seems harmless, especially when the teacher has different paths for lesson plans and there are other course options for students to take. Plus, AP tests are yet another way for students to show colleges their true aptitude and are especially indicative of one’s knowledge since the SAT Subject Tests are no longer offered.

Penelope:

I believe AP classes should be slowly phased out of Menlo. I think the issue with AP classes is the curriculum is completely overloaded, and it’s a class that focuses only on the end result and not actually the capabilities of the student and what they can learn. Particularly in the history AP classes, the class is based heavily on what students can memorize or the words students can write per second. Students are more focused on absorbing information rather than actually engaging with and critically thinking about the content. I think AP classes have a lot of important information and a lot of important skills. By taking out the AP-specific content and instead of making it something like an honors class, students can get the transcript bump and take a rigorous, engaging class. Meanwhile, the teacher has more room and has more ability to create the class as something that benefits students’ growth

Alex:

I think a good compromise would be offering an AP-like class where the teacher has more freedom with the curriculum, but then a supplement is offered to students that want to take the AP exam in the spring. That way, we could get the best of both worlds: students actually invest time in learning, but at the same time can be held to a national benchmark that assists colleges in determining their academic aptitude. And if students don’t want to take the test, then they could still show colleges that they can succeed in rigorous courses.

Penelope:

I like that idea a lot. I think classes like that are kind of already in effect, such as AT Biology or AT Math. Students can still get the grade bump while still learning in a rigorous environment, but it’s not just memorization.