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Will The Future Of College Admissions Change Drastically Over The Coming Years?

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Could the future of college admissions change drastically over the coming years?

That may be the case, according to a new report by the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common project, entitled “Turning the Tide,” which has been endorsed by more than 50 colleges nationwide. Some of the suggestions made include a de-emphasis on standardized testing and an increased focus on quality over quantity of extra-curricular activities and advanced college-level coursework in high school.

“I think there’s a real mismatch between what students think they need to do to get into college and what they actually need to do to get into college,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology Admissions Director Stuart Schmill told Matt Lauer on The TODAY Show. “I do believe that most students stress out over their SAT scores much more than they need to,” added Schmill, who endorsed the report’s recommendations.

Among the recommendations made in the report:

A decreased emphasis on standardized testing, including SAT and ACT exams: Arguably the most stressful aspect of the admissions process for students and their parents alike, the report recommends that admissions offices “should work to relieve undue pressure associated with admission tests,” including making standardized testing optional and “discouraging students from taking an admissions test more than twice.”
Encouraging students to engage in meaningful, sustained community service and get involved in causes that speak to

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