Graduation, marriage, raising children and retiring are all milestones in life. For high school students, the biggest turning point is the SAT because it is a determining factor in college admissions. Nowadays, teenagers’ fates are based on the “Stupid Aggravating Test.” Almost three million students take it every year, since most colleges require it.
First introduced as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, then changed to the Scholastic Assessment Test, the SAT now does not stand for anything. So, what exactly does the SAT “assess?” Scores are supposed to let admissions officers know how prepared applicants are for college-level academics, as they can compare prospective students in a standardized way. Yet, the test does not provide an equal platform for all test-takers since results are largely affected by socioeconomic status.
Once upon a time, the purpose of the test was to show universities that one could handle basic reading and math problems. But now, entire summers and thousands of dollars are spent to boost SAT scores. Students that have parents who can afford these expensive tutors and prep classes are at an unfair advantage compared to peers whose parents struggle to provide necessities due to financial difficulties.
Not only is the test unfair, but it is also an inaccurate indicator of a student’s success in college. In 2001, the UC schools system conducted a study that discovered that high school grades and standardized subject test results predicted freshman year grades better than the SAT I. The question remains: why do we take the SAT?
While few brave schools have dropped the SAT I as an application requirement, I believe that those are headed on the right path. By emphasizing this needless test, America’s educational standards have lowered over time. The Programme for International Student Assessment that tests fifteen-year-old students around the world shows that the U.S. teenagers are performing average in science and reading, and below average in math. As of the 2009 scores, the U.S. is ranked 25th in math, 17th in science and 14th in reading.
Students are no longer learning for the sake of understanding, but rather to pass a test. The way the SAT is structured underlines this point. By memorizing difficult words that we soon forget after taking the test, our generation lacks critical thinking skills and will struggle to apply knowledge to real-life problems in the future.
I hate being defined by a four-digit number. I have more to offer to colleges than being able to bubble and knowing that choice B “impecunious” is the answer to number three. The SAT is not a proper assessment of a student’s intelligence or capability. It is time for this absurdity to go, and I will not be sad to bid it adieu.