Use of standardized tests in admissions in postsecondary instituions of higher education.

The use of standardized tests in the admissions process for entry into America's colleges and universities is examined. The roles of the Educational Testing Service and Henry Chauncey receive special emphasis. The ability of standardized tests to predict success in college is reviewed and the impact of considering only right-tail applicants is discussed. The relationship of ethnicity and gender to performance on standardized tests in the college admissions process is studied and the effect of disparate impact is evaluated. A proposal is presented to deal with the effect of standardized testing on diversity in college admissions in the United States. This proposal is informed by the approach taken in the Netherlands as embodied in the Dutch Higher Education and Research Act.