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There’s nothing worse than approaching a challenging situation grossly unprepared—except, perhaps, believing that you’re well-equipped for the task only to find that you’ve overestimated your preparedness. It’s a scenario that’s becoming increasingly common for college-bound seniors.
At last count, 62 percent of 2022 high school graduates enrolled in either a two- or four-year college immediately after graduation. But students’ college readiness has reached historic lows, according to several metrics—including the lowest scores in 30 years on the ACT and declining scores on the SAT, the two primary standardized tests used for college admissions. And yet, more than 4 in 5 high school seniors report feeling “very” or “mostly” academically prepared for college, according to a 2023 ACT nationwide survey.
They’re not, say experts.
“Fewer students leaving high school are meeting all four college readiness benchmarks [on ACT tests]. Just 21 percent of high school seniors are meeting all of these benchmarks; 43 percent of students meet none of them,” said Janet Godwin, CEO of the ACT, referring to English composition, social sciences, algebra, and biology. “Our research suggests that students meeting so few of these benchmarks are not going to perform as well in their ccredit-bearing freshman classes.”
While experts agree that the pandemic exacerbated declining academic performance across all demographics and stages of K-12 learning, signs of falling college readiness began earlier. In 2023, the average ACT score was 19.5 out of a possible 36, and the 6th straight year of decline. Test takers also are coming to both tests from more diverse backgrounds, in part due to programs like the SAT School Day program, which allows students to take the SAT...