According to statistics from the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, approximately 800 out of 3,000 four-year colleges in the U.S. do not require applicants to take the SAT exam or its competitor, the ACT exam. Bob Schaeffer from the National Center for Fair and Open Testing stated that colleges requiring applicants to participate in standardized tests may disadvantage foreign students.
Schaeffer said: “Students from other countries, particularly those who have not grown up in an English-speaking environment, will be at a double disadvantage. The exam is conducted in a foreign language and they have not received the corresponding preparation, making it even more difficult.”
Reports indicate that these modifications will take effect in 2016 for the 1.5 million students taking the SAT each year. Eddie West from the National Association for College Admission Counseling believes that, overall, these revisions seem to be positive. West stated: “I think these revisions are making the test change in a more positive direction, connecting the exam with the skills and abilities needed for student success, not just helping students get into college or university, but enabling them to succeed there.”
However, he agreed that referencing U.S. historical literature may disadvantage foreign students. West remarked: “Few international students will be truly familiar with the Declaration of Independence or the accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr., or other similar topics that may appear on the exam.” West stated that U.S. colleges need to communicate more with high schools abroad to understand their curricula and make better decisions regarding admission standards.
Currently, there are over 800,000 international students in the United States, accounting for 4% of the college student population.