UNITED STATES

Top university reinstates standardised testing requirements

Students applying to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States in 2022 will have to submit SAT or ACT exam scores, the university announced on Monday 28 March, nearly two years after suspending the requirement because the pandemic had disrupted testing for many applicants, write Maria Cramer and Eduardo Medina for The New York Times.

The requirement was reinstated “in order to help us continue to build a diverse and talented MIT”, said Stu Schmill, the dean of admissions and student financial services and a 1986 graduate, in a statement. “Our research shows standardised tests help us better assess the academic preparedness of all applicants,” he said. The decision will affect first-year students or transfer students who want to enrol at MIT in 2023.

The move bucks the trend seen at other elite colleges and universities, which have waived standardised testing requirements amid criticism that wealthier students can afford prep coaching and have an advantage.
Full report on The New York Times site