CollegeBoard is such an intertwined part of some of our lives because there are a lot of people taking AP Classes every day. However, there are some things we overlook as students following CollegeBoard standards.

Founded in 1900, CollegeBoard is a nonprofit organization built to help students acquire their admission into their dream college. However, despite being a non-profit, every test, and every product takes money from pockets. That seems contradictory, does it not? For an organization that administers the AP tests, SAT tests, PSAT tests and other college required standardized tests, and charging hundreds of dollars for all of those combined, it seems like CollegeBoard is more like a monopoly than a nonprofit. According to the CollegeBoard website themselves, they earned 840.7 million USD in 2014.

CollegeBoard makes money off of textbooks, SATs, PSATs, AP tests, etc. On CollegeBoard’s privacy section, they state “We share a limited amount of personally identifiable information with third parties if it’s needed to administer testing services and provide educational opportunities.” What they don’t tell you is that the information they share, usually the test takers name, is actually being sold for $.47 apiece. Even your name is earning them money!

CollegeBoard’s track record has not always been clean either. They conduct the SAT tests and scores, but there was one time they mishandled it. It was their biggest scandal yet; in August of 2018, they used a recycled version of one of their international SAT tests. Not only were test takers at an obvious advantage since many of them had practiced the exact questions and had the correct answer, but CollegeBoard decided not to cancel any of their scores. They also refused to acknowledge their mistake. No refunds were given for the June SAT even with its unfair curves, and there was no investigation made for the August SAT.

Another controversy comes from during the harsher time of the Coronavirus pandemic (2020). Some students ran into some technical issues and were not able to submit their AP test, which then resulted in a lawsuit against CollegeBoard. The lawsuit claimed that CollegeBoard ignored warnings against discrimination against some students by making the AP test online. Peter Schwartz, general counsel for the CollegeBoard, dismissed the lawsuit as “baseless.” As a reminder, this claim is all alleged.

Even if CollegeBoard is successful in controlling the college acceptance and lifestyle atmosphere, and even if they do provide helpful resources, the way they suck money out of you is not worth it. So, the

next time you pay for one of these tests, seek out as many waivers and reduced pay options as you can. Use free resources online to study, and be knowledgeable about who your money really goes to.