You probably remember the day you took the ACT or SAT.

Feeling nervous and tired from a night of studying, you showed up at the testing place, dreading what the next few hours of your life would hold. After all that preparation and hype, there you were.

And given how you performed that day, you may also have feared how your parents would react after seeing your score. You may have even tried to get home before them to intercept the mail.

Yes, the ACT and SAT are probably not every NIU student’s favorite acronyms.

But over the last decade, scores from these standardized tests have become more important in the decision-making process for undergraduate admissions, according to a report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).

Alan Clemens, instructor of leadership, educational psychology and foundations, said he thinks that rather than placing more importance on standardized test scores, admissions departments should rely on a “portfolio” of items so that applicants are judged on a “broad-based analysis of what they can do.” But he said that interviews with potential students, whenever possible, should be seen as an important tool.

“The more you can do to know people as individuals, the more you can make a decision about their potential,” he said.

NIU freshmen admission criteria requires that students receive an ACT score of at least 19 or an SAT score of 870-900. Applicants who are not high-school graduates or have not attended an accredited or recognized secondary school must have an ACT score of 23 or an SAT score of 1030-1050.

“Students have to meet all published requirements – test score, GPA and courses – to be admitted,” said Admissions Director Robert H. Burk. “One is not weighted more than another for initial admission. Students who are on the margin or on a wait list may be looked at differently based on level of courses taken and grades earned more than the test score.”

Senior biology major Matt Gunderson recalls taking the ACT. He also remembers many of his fellow students not being prepared for it. He said he thinks that other factors, such as extra-curricular activities or GPA, should be more important than standardized test scores.

“One test doesn’t define your academic abilities,” he said. “I’m not a good test taker. Some kids get nervous. Then they’re expected to do well on it.”

Graduate English major Tim Hendrickson took both the ACT and SAT.

“I think they’re fine as long as they’re used in conjunction with other factors,” he said. “It shouldn’t be more or less important than other factors in the admissions process.”