by: David Albert'10
Each year millions of juniors and seniors prepare extensively to take a test that spans a vast amount of knowledge. The Scholastic Assessment Test or SAT’s as they are commonly referred to, are designed to assess the intellect of students in math, writing and reading comprehension. The test is out of a total 2400 points with each portion having a maximum of 800 points earned. The average test score is a 1500.
The Importance of the SAT is surrounded by controversy, dealing mainly with the fairness of the assessment. This ruckus began nearly a decade ago with a suggestion by the former University of California President Richard C. Atkinson. He made a concrete proposal to drop the SAT as an admission requirement to the University, due to the simple fact that the test is “… an unfair measurement of student’s abilities.” This opinion is shared by many students who feel they are not the greatest test takers in the world. As Ms. Stopa, a guidance counselor who deals with the SAT’s all year round, said“ I don’t think it’s a fair measuring tool, because it is supposed to measure the potential [of a student]… The classes in high school that you take and GPA should indicate that.”
The SAT’s are most commonly used by colleges to show the prestigious degree of the institute. According to Joyce Slayton Mitchell, director of college advising at the Nightingale-Bamford School in New York, a student who receives a 650 in the math and reading comprehension is more than qualified to excel at any university in the country. If this is so, then why do most Ivy League Schools frequently turn down scores that are in the 2100-2300 range? Because the top schools in the nation compete to boast the highest average score on the SAT.
Another test that could someday replace the SAT is the highly recommended ACT. This test is widely considered to be fairer because it does not test the potential; rather it tests the actual present knowledge of the student. A greater number of colleges and universities have begun accepting ACT scores as opposed to the SAT.
Even though there is a hefty support for casting out this unfair and biased test, it is still regarded as a major determining factor for many prospect students.