By Cristen Yakush ‘13
Noah Levy ‘13
Maddie McGillicuddy ‘13
EE Staff Writers
If you are an upperclassman, you have probably lost sleep at one point or another due to the stress of college applications. One of the most strenuous elements of this process is achieving the best possible score on standardized tests, more specifically the Scholastic Assessment Test. This test, better known as the SAT, assesses one’s ability in areas of writing, critical reading, and mathematics. While some believe this is an accurate representation of a student’s knowledge, others are skeptical about the legitimacy of this portrayal.
According to ABC, colleges have put extreme importance on test scores in the previous years, so much so that it can be the “make it or break it decision factor” for acceptance into a school. However, recently, an increasing amount of schools have been changing their views on the emphasis these scores play in admissions. There are already several schools that have changed their SAT policy from mandatory to optional. Yet, there are still many colleges and universities that require these scores. Admissions officers also have high expectations when it comes to student scores.
In some instances, SAT scores are indeed an accurate representation of a student’s intelligence when compared with their grade point average. In other cases, a student’s SAT scores are often significantly lower or higher than a student’s GPA, class rigor, and rank. So what’s the catch? Some of the inconsistency has to do with an individual student’s ability to take standardized tests. For example, students could be lucky guessers or slow to answer questions, therefore skewing their results.
Inevitably, there are some factors that might affect the outcome of certain student’s scores, but are there more concrete elements influencing individual’s success? As it turns out, the SAT is considered to be “highly coachable,” meaning kids who can afford a good tutor are at a huge advantage. The factor of family income has been proven to improve scores. Scores increase with every $20,000 of additional income per household. Although money should not determine a student’s fate in college acceptance, it very well could have a prominent impact.
Realistically, a four-hour test cannot demonstrate the true ability and intelligence of a student. The Washington Post stated, “Significant research shows that SAT scores don’t really tell us anything meaningful about a student’s future, either academically or in the work world.” This controversy over the accuracy of test scores poses the question of what lies in the future for standardized testing.