It seems unbelievable that a college would actually pay students to retake the SATs, but that's exactly what occurred at Baylor University until just recently. Baylor paid already-admitted students $300 in bookstore credit to retake the test; students earned another $1,000 if they improved their scores by 50 points. These actions, obviously intended to improve Baylor's academic rankings, are unethical and a shameful commentary about our current test-centered culture.
It does seem odd that Baylor would enact such a policy at a time when many schools are moving away from emphasizing standardized tests, but given this policy, it's clear that Baylor still believes its reputation depends on a dimensionless number that can't possibly represent the true merit of its students. Despite the fact university officials deny wrongdoing, the revocation of the policy once it became nationally publicized is a clear and damning admission of guilt.
It's fortunate that this inappropriate emphasis is not growing. At many universities around the nation, the use of reported SAT scores is becoming optional. Students instead are being asked to write about their goals, achievements and experiences-laudable developments, considering how much more intimately each applicant is described.
Baylor should be ashamed of itself for exploiting an already faulted system, but we all should take note of just how ridiculous our test-centered culture has become.
