There has long been controversy surrounding the SAT, largely driven by college admissions offices, testing companies like the College Board, and policymakers who decide how much weight standardized tests carry in admissions decisions. This debate intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when colleges made the SAT optional due to test-center closures, reopening long-standing questions about fairness in college admissions. Colleges should continue adopting test-optional policies because the SAT does not fairly measure intelligence or potential. Instead, it reinforces inequality and rewards wealth over ability.
Supporters of standardized testing often claim the SAT is “objective,” but college admissions systems and testing institutions maintain a structure that benefits wealthy students. Students with high SAT scores are far more likely to come from affluent families who can afford private tutors, paid SAT prep courses costing anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000, and multiple test attempts. Their parents are also more likely to understand how college admissions work and actively guide them through the process. Meanwhile, low-income students—disproportionately Black, Latino, Indigenous, and immigrant—are expected to compete in the same system without comparable support. Many work jobs after school, attend underfunded schools, and lack access to counselors or test prep resources. Calling this system fair ignores the unequal conditions students are forced to navigate.
This inequality is reinforced by how state and local governments fund public schools. Because schools rely heavily on local property taxes, students in wealthier (often white) neighborhoods attend schools with smaller class sizes, more Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and dedicated college counseling. In contrast, students in poorer (often non-white) neighborhoods face overcrowded classrooms, fewer AP courses, and limited academic support. These structural decisions directly affect SAT performance and college readiness.
I see this disparity firsthand at Mission High School in the Mission District. Our school serves a majority Latino and Black student population and struggles with underfunding, teacher shortages, and limited resources. In contrast, Lowell High School, one of California’s highest-performing public schools, offers significantly more AP courses and academic support. The gap becomes even more apparent when compared to private schools like San Domenico School, where tuition costs tens of thousands of dollars per year, and students receive extensive academic and college-prep support. These differences are not the result of student effort; they are the result of institutional decisions about funding and access.
The SAT ultimately functions as a gatekeeper that college admissions offices choose to use, protecting privilege while excluding marginalized students. To make admissions more equitable, colleges should commit to holistic review practices that prioritize grades, personal statements, recommendations, extracurricular involvement, and lived experiences rather than a single test score. Schools and communities can also expand access to free college counseling programs, SAT-optional admissions workshops, and nonprofit organizations that help first-generation students navigate applications and financial aid. If we truly believe in educational equity, we must stop defending systems that actively undermine it and demand admissions practices that give every student a fair chance to succeed.
