Typically, Harvard hopefuls are advised that a grade point average of 4.18 and test scores of 1580 on the SAT or 35 on the ACT are base levels for a solid chance to be accepted.
Now, if you’re a little shaky in math, Harvard has your back. The problem, though, may not lie with Harvard.
"Harvard is an Ivy League institution that prides itself on having a very rigorous application process. For them to be teaching remedial math is surprise because they certainly, according to their admissions process have the top of the high school graduates who are applying," Jonathan Butcher, senior research fellow in education policy for The Heritage Foundation, told AFN. "I think there is evidence across the K-12 space in both reading and math that K-12 schools are not preparing students to move into higher education."
Butcher added that reading scores and the math scores from earlier this year "were very disheartening" and evidence of the way in which students have been struggling since the pandemic.
National Assessment of Educational Progress scores, released in January, showed continued declines in reading compared to 2022.
For fourth-graders, math scores showed a very slight increase, though only Alabama has surpassed its pre-pandemic math score.
Eighth-grade math scores remain flat, and no state has reached its pre-pandemic scores in math or reading.
Some prospective students are embracing other opportunities.
Butcher also mentioned that honors colleges at state universities are proving to be valuable while not costing six figures a year to attend.
AFN is seeking comment from Harvard.
If the university is doing this, Butcher is not ruling out another Ivy League school doing the same or thinking of moving in that direction.
"It is very likely, and there is research on the degree to which colleges have to offer remedial coursework not just in math but also in math," said Butcher. "I think it's evidence too of the schools that ditched entrance exam requirements such as taking the ACT or the SAT are now realizing that just relying on grades, so GPA and coursework, is not enough to demonstrate that a student is ready."
