Until recently, many people—and colleges—rejected the SAT as a racist and classist metric that perpetuated social divides. But now it’s being championed as a tool for closing some of those same gaps! This week on How We Got Here: why does public opinion on the SAT keep flip-flopping? Who does the test privilege? And is it really the best metric we’ve got for college admissions? With Erin on maternity leave, “What A Day” all-star Priyanka Aribindi joins Max to assess the racist roots of the SAT, how it’s evolved since, and how its history reflects attitudes towards access to higher education.

SOURCES:

Major Changes Adopted in SAT College Exam - Los Angeles Times

The Misguided War on the SAT - The New York Times

Colleges Dropped the SAT and ACT. Here’s Why Many High Schools Didn’t. - WSJ

The SATs are: a) dying; b) already dead; c) alive and well; d) here forever - Vox

Secrets of the SAT : Michael Chandler, Cam Bay Productions., WGBH Educational Foundation., PBS Video. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Interviews - Henry Chauncey | Secrets Of The Sat | FRONTLINE | PBS

Why US Colleges Are Reviving Standardized Tests - Bloomberg

Standardized Test Scores and Academic Performance at Ivy-Plus Colleges

The Rainbow Project: Enhancing the SAT through assessments of analytical, practical, and creative skills

​​The Test | Anya Kamenetz

The Big Test | Macmillan