(Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters)

In college admissions, there’s a strong trend toward dropping SAT or ACT scores and going only on the basis of the student’s grade point average (GPA). Doing so supposedly is more fair and allows admissions people to be more “flexible.” The problem with that is (or at least ought to be obvious): It’s quite possible for a student to amass a high GPA in a school with low standards.


In today’s Martin Center article, Shannon Watkins looks at this controversy. Specifically, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors is considering a shift to a GPA only system. Watkins writes, “But why would UNC system leaders want to limit themselves to only one measure? There is strong evidence that GPA and test scores together is an even better predictor of student success. The two following statements can both be true:

GPA alone is a better predictor than SAT or ACT scores alone. GPA and SAT/ACT taken together is a better predictor than GPA alone.”

Going GPA only doesn’t solve any problem; it merely increases the likelihood of placing some students in schools where they will be at a serious academic disadvantage.