This hurt me. It really really hurt me.

I took my SAT three times and every time I would get pretty much the same score. It made me super sad because I had a 4.0 all of high school and because of my SAT scores, I would not be considered for the highest merit scholarship at ASU. I spent around $120 on tests just so I could be faced with disappointment and I truly think that colleges should not use scores when it comes to scholarship status determination of major.

I talked to some of my high school friends this semester who are just now finishing up applying for colleges and they felt the same way.

My friend Niko Siapkaris voiced his opinion when he told me that he was taking the SAT as a requirement for Cronkite in September. He believes that taking a standardized test should not be a requirement for determining your specific major. I remember I had the same fear when I was applying for the Cronkite school. The Cronkite school requires an 1120 SAT score and when you think of it, that is actually quite high compared to most public universities. Niko says, "You shouldn't need to jump through extra hoops just to get that nursing or journalism degree" and I completely agree with him. Being a senior in high school also has its stresses. I know that Niko is involved with choir (so was I) which takes up big chunks of our days sometimes when we are rehearsing after school. We might be too exhausted to practice for SATs afterward.

My friends Marnie Clayton, Sona Shah, and Carly Martin all had to take the SAT because every college that they are applying to needed it. Marnie even had to take the ACT as well because one of the colleges she was applying to specifically needed it. I think that is so much extra work. I know my friend Sona is a full day senior as well and is on the board of so many clubs. Having the stress of taking the SAT or ACT should be the last of her concerns.

With that in mind, I think that having standardized testing is good, but it shouldn't be a requirement. It certainly should not be a requirement when it comes to scholarship status. Merit scholarships are a big part of why people choose the college they are going to in the first place, so restricting that aid based on SAT and ACT scores is just cruel. I will forever be hurt by the fact that I did not get the President's scholarship at ASU. I had a perfect GPA all of high school and to see it not get the reward it deserves just because of my test scores, is something that I will never stop thinking about.

These tests are both expensive, time-consuming, and stressful. Plus, they are designed in a way that the scores change little to none no matter how many times you take it or practice.

With these tests also come the prep classes and books that could also add to the cost.

I think that graduating seniors have enough on their plates with filling out applications for college. Some of these applications require 2-4 essays, letters of recommendation, community service proof and so much more to take into account. An SAT or ACT score should be the last worry for someone who knows they have the GPA and grades to get into the college of their choice with their desired major. It isn't fair to base off the major or scholarship status because of test scores. There are so many other things that students do throughout high school for colleges to notice them, and I know that colleges have gotten better at taking that into consideration, however, test scores still play a big role when they are making decisions.

I certainly am not taking my $8,000 for granted. However, I will always long for the $10,000 that I should've gotten because I rightfully deserved it.