The Foreign Service Journal, June 2014

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 63 designed to win back market share from the ACT and slow adoption of test-optional policies,” he says. Still, several college administrators, including Harvard’s Dean of Admis- sions WilliamFitzsimmons, welcome the changes. Fitzsimmons believes they send a message that “good hard work is going to pay off.” Many others are taking a wait- and-see approach. College of Wooster Senior Associ- ate Director of Admissions Cathy Finks appreciates “the willingness of the College Board to keep the SAT relevant to today’s students and help it be a better predictor for higher education preparedness.” But, she adds, “As the changes have just been announced, we look forward to learning more over the coming years.” Meanwhile, Finks echoes the senti- ments of most college administrators when she says, “We have found the work a student puts into their four years of high school—thus, the transcript —is the best predictor for success and retention in the Wooster classroom.” The SAT is here for the indefinite Resources • College Board: www.collegeboard.org • College Board’s dedicated website on the revamped SAT www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity • Khan Academy: www.khanacademy.org/sat • Free SAT practice tests can be found online, such as at: www.princetonreview.com/college/free-sat-practice-test.aspx • The National Center for Fair and Open Testing’s list of SAT-optional colleges: www.fairtest.org/university/optional • “Delivering Opportunity,” March 2014 launch of SAT changes, featuring College Board President David Coleman: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=MSZbPJbXwMI • “Mass-Market Writing Assessments As Bullshit,” Writing Assessment in the 21st Century: Essays in Honor of Edward M. White , Ed. Norbert Elliot and Les Perelman (Hampton Press, 2012). future, but the proposed changes do signify a realization that better assessment tools are needed. Time will tell if these changes will make a difference in the application process. In the meantime, as always, the best preparation for college is getting good grades in high school. n