After one is admitted to college and matriculates, entrance exams like the SAT or ACT quickly become a distant memory. However, given the advertisements for test prep programs we see all around campus, it's hard to forget that the LSAT, MCAT or GRE are perhaps lurking in the not-so-distant future. Of course, standardized tests only tell a portion of the story about an applicant to college or graduate school. While assessments of students' verbal and quantitative skills are undoubtedly important, we appreciate supplemental methods — like Educational Testing Services' new Personal Potential Index — that evaluate individuals on a broader range of criteria.
The Personal Potential Index, or PPI, is an evaluation form that seeks to portray a student's non-cognitive attributes. The form would ask faculty to rate and discuss applicants based on their propensity for things like teamwork, communication, motivation, organization, and leadership. These types of skills — sometimes called "soft skills" — are often just as crucial to an individual's success as traditional skills in math and writing.
As Inside Higher Ed reported last week, a renewed focus on non-cognitive skills in college and university admissions appears to have begun. This year, applicants to the University of Notre Dame Masters of Business Administration program will submit letters of recommendation using the PPI. And the Law School Admissions Council has developed its own PPI that law schools can begin to use this year.
The Inside Higher Ed story highlights two key reasons that the PPI is a positive development. Some students who excel in non-cognitive areas may struggle with grades or test scores, but the new recommendation format gives them an enhanced opportunity to highlight their best attributes. In addition, letters of recommendation can often be stale and repetitive, but the PPI gives references a way to be more focused and informative in their letters.
We agree with these points, and would like to add one more. Non-cognitive or soft skills are becoming increasingly valued in the labor market. In 2006, four organizations that conduct research on business management teamed up to survey 400 American employers about the attributes they look for in employees. When asked to select traits as "very important" for new employees, the survey respondents ranked work ethic, teamwork and oral communication ahead of skills like writing, reading comprehension and math.
It's easy to understand why employers look to hire people with developed soft skills. Given the increasing role played by technology and automation, a worker's contribution is more and more contingent on his or her communicative and collaborative abilities. And from an employee's perspective, soft skills may be the only transferable skills if one is switching jobs.
To be sure, scoring 800 on the math section of the SAT is a tremendous accomplishment that suggests very high intelligence. But a score like that unfortunately doesn't guarantee future success in life. We're excited about the PPI because we think it reflects the imperatives of the 21st century labor market, and we hope continues to catch on.
Editorials are written by The Herald's editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
