SAT, ACT STILL HAVE KEY ROLES IN ADMISSIONS

The SAT, once as much a part of a forward-thinking high-school student's life as a slide rule, is becoming less popular with the nation's colleges and universities.

Along with its younger cousin, the ACT, the SAT is being discounted as the ultimate measure of whether a student is ready for college life. About a fifth of all four-year schools are no longer requiring the test scores from some or all applicants.

Southeast Missouri State University requires ACT test scores from traditional applicants but uses placement tests on older students, who officials say are better measured by their experience instead of a single standardized test.

Although the two standardized tests have been criticized for their unfairness to minorities and for not measuring a student's true ability, they have a place in today's universities.

After all, if one can't pass a test, how can one expect to succeed in college?