To my fellow first-years, I'd first just like to say congratulations: you are in. And not only are you in, but even more relieving, you are finally out.

Out of the prep classes, practice tests and Princeton Review textbooks. Out of giving the College Board dollar after dollar in the vain hope of the investment paying off. Out of the stressful nights tossing and turning over the four hours to follow in the morning, spent in one room filling in Scantron bubbles. Out of the college admissions process, a backward, bizarre game which the player cannot opt out of playing.

However, it appears that people on the inside are coming to recognize how twisted the game has become and are attempting to do something about it. In July, Brandeis announced that it would be shifting its admissions process to include a test-flexible option for the Class of 2018. Under the new system, students will no longer be required to submit SAT or ACT scores. They will instead have the choice of sending their main SAT or ACTs, sending several subject-specific tests such as the SAT IIs and APs or fore going any tests at all and instead sending examples of their analytical writing, along with an additional teacher recommendation.

This is a step entirely in the right direction. By eliminating the need for students to submit themselves to the culturally-biased, money-grabbing and systemically-broken institution that is standardized testing, Brandeis is demonstrating that it understands the inherent flaws in the testing system. It joins an ever-growing list of test-flexible universities and colleges, including Bard College, Bates College, Roger Williams University and Columbia University.

Brandeis' new system is also well structured. Subject-specific test scores allow applicants to demonstrate the areas that they are best at and most interested in, and writing selections allow the readers to learn about the person behind the application form. At the same time, the University is still holding its applicants to a high standard. Those who send subject tests must send at least three different tests-one in math or science; one in English, languages, arts or humanities; and one of your choice-meaning applicants must still demonstrate ability in multiple areas. The third option provides readers with both a student's creative writing (from their main application essay) and analytical writing, giving a sense of their capacity for several different types of thought, as well as their overall writing ability.

Critics of the shift have said Brandeis is only changing its policies so that those who do send SAT or ACT scores will be high scoring applicants, thus pushing the school up in rankings to look more prestigious. Fortunately this opinion is misinformed.

Admitted students who choose not to send scores in their application will still be asked to submit them after accepting, for internal research on the program and reporting numbers accurately.

Indeed, this shift is not about earning brownie points within the admissions business; it is about Brandeis recognizing the flaws in the standardized testing process and doing something to fix it.

A school which preaches social justice and diversity simply cannot participate wholeheartedly in the SAT system. Many studies have found that the SAT is less a determinant of how intelligent the test-taker is, than of how white, wealthy and American the test-taker is. In fact, a Jay Rosner study in 2003 found that sample SAT questions which were answered correctly by African-American students were deleted from the SAT. This was done so that the test results would be "consistent" from year to year. The Annie E. Casey Foundation, meanwhile, recently determined that the gap in standardized test scores between rich and poor students is almost 60 percent, twice the gap between white and non-white test-takers. It is ironic that a test whose purpose is to be a universal metric of knowledge is rooted in the biases of its authors.

It is time for a meaningful and lasting change in the college admissions process, and the first step is for the schools themselves to reject the validity of the system. I applaud Brandeis admissions for recognizing that standardized testing does not work, and taking necessary action to create a more just system.

However, there is one area the program is clearly lacking; test-flexibility does not extend to international students, a surprising choice given that they are a group whom the testing system is stacked against. For many international students, questions on the SAT are difficult to properly interpret and cultural references specified to the test's mostly American audience, another example of how the SAT's writing style excludes otherwise excellent students. As a school with a rich international community, Brandeis should recognize and accommodate this bias.

Still, the program is only in its infant stages. As applicants try the new program, research and revision will create a better admissions system that I think will become a permanent institution at Brandeis. While the admissions process will never be perfect, by giving applicants options, Brandeis has shown that it is a welcoming and open-minded place, and understands that intelligence is not shown through a number.
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