Changes to the SAT May Pose Challenges for International Students

Recently, the College Board decided to reduce rarely used vocabulary in the SAT exam. Additionally, they have removed the mandatory essay and added content related to U.S. history.  

When students from Howard University in Nigeria and Jamaica applied, they were among nearly 100,000 international students registering for the SAT each year.  

Currently, changes to the SAT are generating mixed feelings about whether they will benefit or disadvantage international students planning to study in the U.S.  

“First, they are removing difficult vocabulary – which I believe is the biggest challenge for most international students,” said Peace Umoru, a Howard University student.  

However, Shanique Campbell, a Jamaican student also at Howard University, expressed concern over the addition of U.S. history-related questions.  

“That is the part I believe will be very intimidating for international students. We are aware that we are taking an American exam, so there are many things we are not prepared for, such as cultural knowledge,” she said.  

Approximately 800 out of nearly 3,000 four-year universities in the U.S. do not require SAT or its rival ACT scores, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing.  

However, Bob Schaeffer from the center believes that the changes could put international students at a disadvantage.  

“International students, especially those who did not grow up in English-speaking countries, face double disadvantages – taking the exam in a foreign language and dealing with cultural challenges,” he said.  

The new SAT will launch in 2016, with 1.5 million students taking the exam annually.  

“I feel the changes are steering the test in a more positive direction by incorporating the skills and competencies students need to succeed – not just for college admission, but for life in the future,” said Eddie West from the National Association for College Admission Counseling.  

However, he also agreed that the U.S. history portion might pose difficulties for international students.  

“It will be relatively challenging for an international student to ‘get acquainted’ with the Declaration of Independence, Martin Luther King Jr., or anything of that nature in the test,” he said.  

West suggested that U.S. universities should collaborate with foreign high schools to better understand their curricula and make more informed admission decisions.  

Currently, more than 800,000 international students are studying in the U.S., representing 4% of the total student population.  

(According to VOA News)