I remember sitting inside a classroom packed with my fellow students. Some were those who shared the same classes as me. Some others were athletes starting in the many sports for my school. Regardless, we all were taking the same SAT test. In that session, I had to quickly read and comprehend the printed passages. I had to suggest the best choices to revise several others. Lastly, I had to scribble down equations to decipher the mathematical questions. In the end, I received my SAT score. It wasn’t considered worthy for colleges like Harvard and Yale. Even then, I feel myself doesn’t start with such a simple test score.

Ever since as a kid, I would doodle a lot on paper. I would grab a small wooden pencil and just draw. From the beanlike figures to small animals to humans. I would draw on whatever was on my mind. Sometimes, they symbolized something greater across the world. Drawing wasn’t just a simple hobby for me; in fact, it was a medium to express my feelings and curiosities. This is something that a score wouldn’t show.

Back at home, I worked at my local Walmart Neighborhood Market. There, I trekked around the store collecting items suited for online grocery orders. Sometimes, I would have to deliver them to other people’s cars. Amid angsty storegoers, heavy rain, and late orders, I still made sure each customer was satisfied. This (partly) reduced the burden me and my coworkers faced. While stressful, those represented to me the inevitable challenges that I would face in my college life, future jobs, and beyond. This is something that a score wouldn’t show.

Back in high school, I took a class based on aerospace engineering. For our final project, me and a couple of my classmates created an attachment for an infrared drone. With this improvement, we imagined it as an aid for jobs like firefighting and roof inspections. Specifically, for me, I jotted down many of the concepts, materials used, flight tests, and many more. Throughout those two months, I picked up valuable skills that would aid me in my future career. This is something that a score wouldn’t show.

Now as a college student, I reflect on how important my SAT (and the ACT) was for my application. Perhaps my SAT score may give a vision of how I fared in class. It may have also acted as a buffer to get to my university. However, it was never a result of my drawing passion. Neither was my hard work at my part-time job. Nor was it from my Capstone Project. Maybe its just a test.