The pandemic was hard on students and as part of that, some schools, including Dartmouth, decided not to use standardized tests anymore as part of their entry process.
But they've changed course after research found that decision hurt low-income students, who witheld their own scores over concerns they weren't good enough. "If they submitted those scores, they probably would have gotten in," WWL's Newell Normand said.
The study further revealed that standardized test scores helps schools to discover students they otherwise may have missed.
Everybody rushed to judgement during the pandemic, Normand said, believing it was 'bad, bad, bad.' But when they actually looked at the data they found the opposite.
"The tests are still the best indicator of success," he said.