There was a WSJ article a couple weeks back on the growing trend for universities to consider using personality assessments to assist in admissions decisions. In addition to the ETS Personal Potential Index  I blogged about a while back, there are a number of other tools in development. For example, ACT is developing an assessment to identify students who are at high risk for dropping out while the College Board has been working at Michigan State University to develop a biodata predictor for university success.

Interest in these instruments appears to be spurred by the seeming unassailable belief that there is more to predicting academic success than GPA and standardized tests scores. However, there are also concerns about cheating and students learning how to “game” such non-cognitive assessments. It should be noted that colleges have always attempted to discern a potential student’s strengths and weaknesses outside the academic realm through personal statements and admissions essays. Proponents of these new non-cognitive assessments argue they are carrying on this same tradition but doing so in a way that standardizes how these non-academic factors are evaluated.

Reid Klion