The SAT will now give students an “adversity score,” and here’s what that means

Applying to college is stressful for all students, but it’s admittedly easier for those with more privilege. The admissions process has faced criticism over this for years, and recently, in March, the college admissions scandal made it clear that the problem is even worse than many of us realized. Now, to help level the playing field, the SAT will give students an “adversity score” based on their socioeconomic status.

According to The New York Times, College Board—the company that administers the test—announced the change on May 16th. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news that future tests will assign students ratings from one to 100 based on 15 factors, such as the poverty level of their neighborhood. An “adversity score” of 50 will be average, with higher numbers meaning that the student has had to overcome more socioeconomic challenges. The Times notes that the rating will not affect students’ test scores, and it will only be reported to college admissions boards. According to BuzzFeed News, the ratings will be implemented in 2020.

"Merit is all about resourcefulness," David Coleman, CEO of College Board, told The Times. "This is about finding young people who do a great deal with what they’ve been given. It helps colleges see students who may not have scored as high, but when you look at the environment that they have emerged from, it is amazing."

A College Board spokesperson told CNN that 50 colleges and universities have already experimented with the 15 factors that make up the rating—known as the “Environmental Context Dashboard.” CNN also notes that the so-called “adversity scores” do not take a student’s race into account (though many students of color will realistically score high on the scale due to the strong intersection between race and income inequality in this country).

“We can’t sit on our hands and ignore the disparities of wealth reflected in the SAT.” The SAT is trying to help capture students’ socioeconomic background with a new adversity score. https://t.co/BMzukrKN6V pic.twitter.com/d3t4sq5tHF

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) May 16, 2019

It’s not yet clear whether the SAT’s new system will help less privileged students in the college admissions process, but it’s certainly an interesting attempt to make things more equal.