Officials can't predict effects of new SAT

That 1500 you got on the SAT won’t look so impressive now — and campus administrators aren’t sure how changes like that will affect admissions at the University.

The new test, the first rounds of which were taken earlier this academic year, includes a variety of changes — most notably, an included essay — and is graded on a 2400-point scale.

And admissions officials have yet to determine what the new standardized test says about potential students’ qualifications.

“It’s still new to all of us,” said Jared Rosenberg, senior assistant director of undergraduate admissions at UNC.

“Time will only tell on the statistics of these exams.”

The changes include the introduction of a student-written essay, the removal of analogies, shorter reading passages, new content from Algebra II math classes and the elimination of quantitative comparisons.

The new test will be difficult to correlate to students’ abilities for the time being, Rosenberg warned.

Only a very low or very high score will have a significant impact on students’ chances for admission to the University.

“It is one of many factors that we’ll consider,” he said.

“I don’t see it changing the way we do things in the immediate future.”

The most recently admitted class of incoming freshmen had an average SAT-I score of 1336, up 13 points from last year.

Rosenberg underscored the University’s multifaceted admissions process and said officials consider a number of factors when reviewing students’ information.

“I want (prospective students) to take a deep breath and know that this is not going to be the driving factor in their decision,” he said.

“There are so many other important things that go into an application.”

Still, Rosenberg said he approves of the changes, and he said he hopes the new version of the test will encourage a focus on communication skills in teaching before college.

“It will make high schools center around and put more emphasis on writing,” Rosenberg said.

“Students and teachers will work more on writing, which can only be beneficial, because they need that practice.”

Many high school juniors touring campus Wednesday said they are happy with the changes in the test.

Allison Wallrapp, a high school junior who took both versions of the SAT, said she thought the revised test was easier than previous versions.

“A lot of the things that they took off of the old SAT were my weaknesses,” she said.

“I also liked the writing part. It’s more of a practical application.”

But Jessica Bowen, a high school junior from Rocky Mount, said the test was difficult for her because there are no comparable high school exams to provide students with a basis for that type of testing.

“I think I was unprepared for it because I didn’t know what to expect,” she said.

“I don’t think the writing part really measures your intelligence as well as the other two parts.”

Rosenberg said that a lot of research has been done in preparation for the new test and that it should make things easier for students, administrators and testing officials.

“I think it will be a little easier for some students to prepare for the test,” he said.

“It’s all about being a good writer — which is something that is very important in college.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.