Introduction
One of the most hotly debated issues in the academic world is whether academic achievement should be a primary concern for college admission. Every year, hundreds of thousands of high school graduates join colleges to pursue their careers. The admission process has been faulted because it is primarily based on scores from standardized tests such as the SATs. Proponents argue that the process is fair and should not be discontinued. On the contrary, opponents argue that it is unfair and should be reevaluated. Academic performance should not be a primary concern for college admission because it is unfair, impartial, an inaccurate measure of intelligence, and it is an inaccurate way to evaluate the learning capabilities of students.
Main body
Academic performance is based on a student’s mental ability, which is evaluated through the administration of standardized tests. This approach ignores the fact that skills such as problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, decision-making, and effective communication are important aspects of success in life (Evers and Kneyber 54). In that regard, students who do not excel in academics but perform exceptionally in other areas such as sports and innovation are denied an opportunity to pursue higher education. There are hundreds of entrepreneurs who did not attend college and have developed revolutionary innovations that have improved human life. Therefore, academic performance is an inaccurate tool to measure mental capability. Values such as drive, work ethic, character, patience, passion, and integrity cannot be evaluated using a student’s academic performance (Evers and Kneyber 57). It is important for colleges to reevaluate their admission procedures in order to promote fairness by giving all students an opportunity to gain entrance into colleges of their choice.
Using academic performance to carry out college admissions is unfair to some students, especially those from poor economic backgrounds. High performance largely hinges on access to test-preparation programs, which mainly benefit students from privileged backgrounds (Holmes 38). Many experts have recommended the use of multiple indicators of college readiness to carry out admissions (Evers and Kneyber 67). Academic achievement should not be eradicated completely as a concern for college admission. However, it should not be a primary concern.
Proponents of the use of academic performance as a tool to conduct college admissions argue that it is the most effective way to evaluate the students’ capabilities. They maintain that academic performance is the most effective measure of success probability in college. Tests are similar and the method of grading is the same across the country. Therefore, it is fair and efficacious. These arguments are flawed because they ignore the importance of possessing skills such as leadership and emotional intelligence (Holmes 74). Academic performance should be used as one of the methods of conducting college admission. It should be a secondary and not a primary concern.
Conclusion
College admission is a tough process that involves the placement of students into colleges based on their qualifications. Academic performance is the main aspect of student capability that is considered during college admission. However, the human potential goes beyond performance. Aspects such as leadership, character, integrity, thinking skills, and creativity are equally important in evaluating an individual’s potential. Therefore, academic performance should not be a primary concern for college admission. A person’s intelligence and potential should be determined based on a vast array of approaches that incorporate as many aspects of human potential as possible.
Works Cited
Evers, Jelmer, and Rene Kneyber. Flip the System: Changing Education from the Ground Up. Routledge, 2015.
Holmes, Jeffrey D. Great Myths of Education and Learning. John Wiley & Sons, 2016.