To ensure that students and their parents receive accurate and up-to-date information on trends in the college admissions process, Kaplan Test Prep annually surveys admissions officers from the top national, regional and liberal arts colleges and universities in the U.S. The survey data collected helps Kaplan provided informed insights to the tens of thousands of families we work with each year. Click on Kaplan Test Prep’s 2013 Survey of College Admissions Officers for the results.
Among the highlights of this year’s survey:
Does your school require the SAT® or ACT®?
- Either the SAT or ACT: 88%
- Neither: 12%
To what extent do you agree with the makers of the SAT to change the exam’s content?
- Completely agree: 4%
- Generally agree: 68%
- Generally disagree: 26%
- Completely disagree: 2%
To what extent do you agree with the decision of the makers of the ACT to begin administering the exam in a computer-based format?
- Completely agree: 20%
- Generally agree: 67%
- Generally disagree: 11%
- Completely disagree: 2%
Do you think the makers of the ACT should change the content of the exam? (Note: the test maker has only announced format changes, not content changes)
- Completely yes: 2%
- Generally yes: 22%
- Generally no: 63%
- Completely no: 13%
Do you think grade inflation is a problem?
- Completely yes: 18%
- Generally yes: 42%
- Generally no: 34%
- Completely no: 6%
About what proportion of personal essays that you review would you characterize as excellent or outstanding?
- Less than 1 in 10: 7%
- 1 in 10: 21%
- 2 in 10: 23%
- 3 in 10: 17%
- 4 in 10: 9%
- 5 in 10: 10%
- 6 in 10: 5%
- 7 in 10: 5%
- 8 in 10: 3%
- 9 in 10: 0%
- Almost all: 0%
*For the 2013 survey, 422 admissions officers responded to Kaplan’s telephone polling between July and August 2013. SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product