Nation’s Top Corporate Executives Say SATs Are Poor Measure of What Counts in the Real World, According to New Survey

Corporate CEOs Deliver Letter to College & University Presidents Urging Them to Stop Over-Reliance on Tests, Invest in Holistic Admissions Tools

WASHINGTON, DC, April 12, 2001 –High stakes standardized tests like the SAT fail to capture the qualities most essential for success in the corporate world, such as creativity, drive, and leadership, according to a new survey of corporate executives of the nation’s Fortune 1000 companies released today by the National Urban League. The survey is the first product of the League’s Institute for Opportunity and Equality, a DC-based research and public policy unit established through funding provided by Nationwide Insurance.

Conducted by DYG, Inc., the survey underscores the pitfalls of over-relying on such tests as the SAT as criteria for identifying and selecting the best and the brightest for admission to top tier schools. Conducted exclusively among corporate presidents, CEOs, CFOs, and COOs, as well as senior VPs and VPs of the nation’s Fortune 1000 companies, the survey’s key findings reveal the following:

• 91 percent rated "character" (defined as integrity, the ability to overcome obstacles, determination, and drive), as the most crucial attribute for achieving long-term success in business, followed by "communication skills" and "leadership skills."

• 96 percent said standardized test scores are "not very important" to long-term success in business.

• When asked how much weight should be attached to SAT scores in college admissions, 58 percent said "a lot of weight, but less than today’s level" and "much less weight than today’s levels."

• Of the executives who could recall their SAT or ACT scores, the majority (37 percent) scored in the middling 1000 — 1299 range. This mirrors precisely the talent pool of fully meritorious applicants who possess enormous promise yet whose prospects of being admitted to top-tier institutions are diminished by undue reliance on SAT and ACT scores and grades and by insufficient consideration of those attributes identified in the League’s survey that contribute to success in the real world.

In addition to the study results (available online at //www.nul.org/youth.html) the League also released a strongly-worded letter addressed to college and university presidents endorsed by CEOs and other high-ranking executives at some of the top corporations in the country, including Nationwide, Bank of America, UPS, Verizon and Gillette, urging them to stop the over-reliance on college entrance exams.

SATs Are Poor Measure of What Counts in the Real World, According to New Survey

"We’ve seen employees rise to the pinnacle of corporate America for possessing attributes no multiple choice test can possibly capture," the letter reads. "[We] urge you to stop the over-reliance on college entrance exams and to use admissions tools that better measure the qualities that truly point to a student’s potential for achieving future success within – and beyond – the classroom."

"The purpose of the admissions process is more than picking the next batch of academic stars in undergraduate school," said Hugh Price, President of the National Urban League. "As the Dean of Admissions at Harvard once said, ‘We are in the business of choosing leaders for the next century.’ That’s a major part of the mission of all of America’s top-tier colleges and universities."

Mr. Price continued: "It’s often said that the business of America is business. And that American business is the envy of the world. Yet when we talked with the nation’s top business leaders, we found a disturbing disconnect between the undue weight given to standardized tests as a measure of ability, and the way corporate leaders assess merit, talent and potential in their world where bottom-line performance really matters."

The letter and survey represent the first time corporate executives have weighed in on the debate over standardized tests in college admissions. The debate has intensified in recent weeks following University of California President Richard Atkinson’s proposal in February to eliminate the SAT as an admissions requirement.

"These corporate leaders have a vested interest in having a balanced admission policy because they fish from the same talent pool as educators," said Price. "When the pool shrinks because of excessive reliance on standardized tests, it’s the business world that suffers, not just our young people. That’s why it’s so critical for America’s colleges and universities to weigh real-life dimensions of merit, talent and potential in the admissions process."

The National Urban League Institute for Opportunity & Equality is a research and public policy unit of the National Urban League that is dedicated to the pursuit of economic self-reliance and equal opportunity for African-Americans. Dr. William E Spriggs, Director, oversees the Institute’s day-to-day operations. Nationwide Insurance provides major funding for the Institute.

The Urban League is the nation’s oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream. The National Urban League, headquartered in New York City, spearheads the nonprofit, nonpartisan movement, while Urban League affiliates operate in more than 100 cities in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

DYG, Inc., founded in 1986 by Daniel Yankelovich, is a recognized leader in the field of social and marketing research. The firm is widely known for its contribution to advancing the state of the art, as well as for its innovative solutions to client needs.

Nationwide, a leading provider of diversified insurance and financial services, had 1999 assets of more than $115 billion and is ranked #128 on the Fortune 500. The company ranks as the 30th largest financial services company in the world, with more than 28,000 employees worldwide. Nationwide Insurance is the fifth largest insurer of homeowners and autos in the United States. Nationwide Financial Services, Inc., is Nationwide\'s retirement savings and income business. Its principal holding, Nationwide Life Insurance Company, is among the country\\\'s 10 largest life insurers.