Should SATs matter?

[6kmeagan]

content.time.com/time/education/article/0,8599,101321,00.html

In today's day and age, standardized tests, such as the SATs, have become heavy determining factors of college acceptance. It is appalling to me that a student's intelligence and worthiness of admission can be defined by his or her performance on a single examination. Instead, it is far more wise to have colleges look at the student's overall report card grades. The progress a student has made over the course of the year should be more essential than how he or she does on a particular test day. Furthermore, the severe importance associated with an exam like the SAT has only increased pressure on students, as well as dramatically increasing the amount of cheating that occurs. Whether or not one would state this blatantly, this single test, in a sense, determines the student's entire future. A good test score equals a good college, and a college equals a successful occupation. Therefore, students, though in the wrong, do everything possible (cheating) to do well. Unfortunately, some of the most intelligent pupils are those who are not good test-takers. In this case, why deny potential Albert Einsteins acceptance into prestigious schools because of one exam? 

[3UIfeoma]

I believe that SATs should matter, but they shouldn't hold as much weight as they do. The problem with school is that as students, our entire intelligence is judged by a set of numbers, despite the fact that there are a lot of factors that determine how high or low that number may be. Somebody may be a very intelligent person, but a bad test taker, and because they do poorly on tests are deemed as "stupid". Likewise, I know people that don't put any effort into school but cheat on tests and have pretty good averages. I don't think students should be completely judged by a "grade", whether it is report card or SATs. Not all students are equal, and not all teachers are equal, either. Some students get stuck with bad teachers and don't learn properly, and in instances such as those, they can't be blamed. However, colleges won't know and won't care about your life story to know that certain grades are unjust, and in the end it inaccurately reflects back on the student. Instead, I think a new system of judgement should be developed which better assesses a student's worth. Both report card grading systems and SATs are flawed.

[6hkaterina]

Personally, I think everything should count equally. There are some people who do amazing in school because they study really hard, yet may not be the best test takers. However, there are some people who may not care at all about school, or may find school more difficult, yet have a more innate test-taking ability. This is why everything should count equally, so that it's fair for everyone and colleges get a better view of each applying student.

[3rpamela]

I think that SATs shouldn't matter. Most of the students take this SAT under pressure, due to the fact that it somewhat determines your future. Is like completely disregarding every work you had put in over the course of 12 years, which seems a little unfair. Many students have left their country, social life, sleep, and other things to have 90-100% on their report card. I strongly dislike the idea that a student has to take a test in order for colleges to look at your grades, and then at you. Many students are Ivy-League material, however test like these are the reason why many students aren't able to have a spotlight set on them. However, I do know that as teenagers we usually need some kind of motivation in order to foward our studies. For this reason, these test do help us worry about studying and getting a good round education. Even so, I strongly believe that SATs shouldn't count so greatly upon one's acceptance to college.

[3zrheanna]

I think the entire idea of deeming one's intelligence on a grading system is ridiculous. There are lazy, maybe unintelligent people with straight a's because they cheat their way through school, should their good grades define them as good, intelligent, hardworking people? Absolutely not. On the other hand there are honest, intelligent and hardworking students that may not do as well, due to factors such as not getting enough sleep, too much stress or just being bad at taking exams. Though I think grades do, to some extent, show a student's ability to learn, a number doesn't tell the whole story. Students should not be classified by meaningless numbers, but by character. On an exam like the SAT this rings even more true than it would on just a regular school exam. The SAT is one test, that a student took on one day, it is nothing more than a mere snapshot into their abilities at that particular point in time. I strongly believe the SATs they should not be the make-or-break factor when it comes to applying to college.

[10channah]

I disagree strongly with the idea of standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. From my experiences, they do not reflect how you are as a student. From many SAT classes, the main thing about the test is learning the test strategies and tricks to taking the test, and nothing about what is actually on the test and how to learn how to do the questions. One of the tricks for math is plugging in the multiple choice answers and seeing which one gets you the right answer. This does not reflect people as students and workers. I think that the ACT is better and a good option if the SAT is not your test because they are not the same, but I don't agree with the idea of either of them. I think that the test optional schools are doing the right thing and allowing the student to use their AP test grade or even an essay that was graded by their teacher in school or a project that reflects well on the student. This allows the college to get a better idea of who the student is and if they should get into that college, not how high their score is on an inaccurate test.

[10ganja]

I agree, I think that exams like the SATs and ACTs say very little about a student's level of intelligence. Not only is it ridiculous that a person's value is based on how well they do in the span of a 3 hour test, but the test itself and the questions do little to judge someone's understanding of the topics they've been learning since they began school. The questions are worded confusingly, and in some cases the choices could all be argued as being the correct answer, but based on possibly one small difference in wording, one of the options becomes more correct than the others. This method of testing does not calculate someone's intelligence and rational thinking, but how quickly they can figure out the tricks incorporated into the questions and look past them to find the answer. There are a lot of hard-working individuals who are willing to learn and who want to do great things, but because they may not do well on these standardized tests, they may not achieve the full extent of what they wanted to do.

The tests could be also be argued as incredibly unfair from a financial standpoint because in order for people to do well, it is almost required that they take some kind of preparatory classes outside of their everyday lessons. SAT prep classes don't come cheap, or at least the ones that will effectively prepare you for the test, so the students who don't have the means to pay for these classes are already at a disadvantage. Sure, there are plenty of other ways to do well, like studying on your own or taking more affordable online courses, but any kind of preparation takes incredible amounts of time and energy. Students are expected to maintain their high grades in school, involve themselves in clubs and afterschool sports, and some students have jobs or other engagements, which makes preparing for standardized tests an unnecessary burden. If we want the next generation to be more than just strong test-takers, we need to start reinstating the idea that a student is a made up of many important qualities that help lead them to success, rather than the idea that a student is defined simply by a number on a sheet of paper.

[10zqueena]

The sat is a debatable test but personally i think that the test itself can certainly test a persons intelligence but it should weigh so much in the college application. this is because it is a 4 hour test that determines your future which is not that fair considering there are people who arent good at taking tests or anyone who can't stay focused for 4 hours straight. however with enough practice i think anyone could ace the SAT and i think that is what colleges look for when they get a students SAT score. it helps them determine whether a student has enough stamina or can take in information fast. yes the sat is kinda unfair but it is a strategical test that many people should at least take once.

[10vwoods]

I honestly think that the SAT is the dumbest way that a college could ever understand who is deserving to go to it. It literally says nothing about one's work ethic, intelligence, or thought process-- basically everyone who gets a high score on the test memorizes formulas and strategies that would never be used in any other scenario. It is also a test that is surely turning into more of a business than something that will help a student. I can imagine that the college board gets millions of dollars a year simply because there is a $50 registration fee. This says something about our country that is pretty corrupt: it's less about the wellbeing of the student and more about how much money a company can suck out of him or her.
I have recently (as of yesterday) taken the test and I'm honestly unsure as to whether or not it will reflect my preparation-- I'm not the best test taker, and this is certainly something that will hinder anyone else's score who is in the same position as me, despite the fact that I studied rigorously for months.

[10pbeatrice]

I feel neutral about whether the SAT should matter to be truthful. Though admission counselors often value test results highly when reviewing applications, they also know that they're just one facet of of you as an applicant. The SAT isn't just one thing that determines which school you get into, your GPA, essay, recommendations, and activities give a complete picture of you as a potential student. In fact, at some colleges, tests hardly matter at all! The SAT measures critical thinking and analytical skills, rather than facts and statistics. Fortunately, the SAT is changing to be more like the ACT in which it does not deduct points on wrong answers or it may not include a writing section at all. Whether or not a student chooses to take the SAt is up to them and they should in no circumstances feel that this is the only thing that determines their future; it is just one piece of the puzzle.

[3lciara]

I really don't think the SAT should have as much an impact on getting into college as it should. The exam does not test your intelligence, but, instead, it tests you on how well you know the test. In SAT class, I learn more short cuts and ways to make educated guesses than I do actual knowledge. My ability to read a passage and answer questions will not show a college how hard I plan on working to succeed in life. I do understand that there should be some sort of test for getting into colleges because grades are not always a reliable source, but this three and a half hour test does not test how smart a person is.

[6caiden]

I think the SAT should have less importance than it does. The exam doesn't focusing on ones intelligence, but rather their ability to pay for a tutor and learn how to take the test correctly. Personally, I'm a terrible test taker, I could study for a test for weeks and still score poorly, yet participation, homework and projects reflect how I can actually apply myself. I do think a standardized test should contribute to college acceptances, but definitely not as stressful as the SAT is. Students can score poorly simply from being so stressed, if it was a test that actually reflected a students intelligence and wasn't such a big deal, more students would score better while also having their grades weigh in equally (which is hard work year round in school.)

[6dmaya]

I think that an undue amount of value is given to standardized tests in today's world. The idea that this test has the ability to measure one's intelligence or even cognitive reasoning skills is completely unfair and untrue. Certain students are naturally able to process the content and the format of the test better than others and thus they receive higher scores and are more highly considered by colleges and universities. One section that I am always surprised about is reading comprehension. Reading is supposed to be subjective and the SAT asks multiple choice questions testing ones fixed understanding of a reading passage. This type of section just illustrates the way that standardized tests can limit free thought. As a person who does not do well on standardized tests, I know first hand how discouraging it can be to do poorly. It can be incredibly destructive of a student's intellectual confidence which is so essential in the process of learning throughout schooling and life after school. Many colleges have made the submission of standardized test scores optional, a decision that is in the right direction. Among the many factors considered by colleges before accepting a student, the SAT's should not be one.

[3diegol]

The SAT's along with the rest of standardized testing is commonly associated with negative feelings from the perspectives of students. I personally am not completely against standardized testing, but I do believe that they are weighed way too heavily in determining, in the simplest sense, your future. There are plenty of intelligent and competent students that are simply not good test takers and it is unfair that they are not seen that way to colleges. The very sound of the “SAT’s” is one that the majority of people, ranging of all ages, are familiar with. It is certainly a very intimidating test and students spent countless hours from a very young age, in preparation for this crucial test. The very process of being accepted into colleges through your SAT scores is extremely unbalanced. Despite your high GPA or even the countless extracurricular activities that you partake in, a mediocre SAT score will make you just an average student in the eyes of the college you once dreamed to go to. The SAT does test your endurance and stamina in being able to sit through a 3 hour and 45 minute exam, and it is understandable that an exam is the fastest way for colleges to evaluate students. However, I personally believe that it should not be the only way a student is able to get accepted into their dream college. The weight of standardized testing has been stressed too much for too long, and reforms in this particular aspect of education must be made.

[3smonica]

I think that in todays society people do not actually realize how hard certain students work to keep their grades up only for them to be ruined by one simple test. SAT is a huge controversy in todays society and i do not think that any kind of tests over all should be weighted so heavily. In your typical math or science class our test scores count as 80% of our grade which means you fail one test you might just not get to that high 90 you wanted even though you try hard for the rest of the entire year. We as students do not actually learn anymore we just follow the test topics. Before these tests students actually gain knowledge that was helpful to one but now its all about bubbling in the correct letter or number. The SAT questions are not studied in your everyday classroom which is also dumb because how are you supposed to take a test where the topics wont even make any sense.