In a day and age when colleges are more competitive than ever, with more and more demanding requirements for things like GPAs, volunteering, sports, other extracurriculars, admission essays, etc, there are been one thing that has remained fairly unchanged throughout the years; SAT testing. The SATs are somewhat similar to IQ tests. There is definitely some overlap between the two. And a good SAT score can be what makes or breaks college admissions. GPAs can be dependent on the type of school you went to or the classes you had, but SAT tests are standardized across the board. In addition to the SAT, there is also the ACT, which isn't that much different, but is scored differently and also has an extra section.
The question that has been asked for a while now, though, is whether or not the SAT is really a good way to tell if someone's a good fit for college. In other words, is it an accurate gauge for college readiness?
As someone who has taken the SAT, I feel personally that despite the nature of the tests themselves, standardized testing still isn't set up fairly for everyone. For starters, those who have the financial means to get extensive SAT/ACT classes, tutoring, and other resources which can be expensive will have an advantage over those who don't. I know for me that having a tutor who I went to every week definitely helped me score better the second time I took the test.
Not to mention, of course, that many people simply are not great test takers. I know a lot of students who excel in the classroom and on homework/assignments but have test anxiety and struggle under pressure. It's true that one can choose to take the SAT/ACT more than once, but even if someone were to take the test multiple times it is still only a handful of opportunities to succeed compared to the many years they have in high school.
With recent changes to the SAT, more high school students have opted to take the ACT, which is said to be more relevant to high school subjects.
While I wouldn't say that standardized testing should not be utilized at all to determine college readiness, I believe that the test scores should be lower in priority when colleges look at their applications. Standardized testing might be able to say something about a student's ability to perform under pressure, but it does not say much about their character and a bad SAT score should not overshadow years of volunteering and a good GPA.
