There are so many bubbles. This test is so long. There is no relevance to my life. There is so much stress, because the only reason I am taking this test, is for colleges to evaluate it…what if I bomb it? The SAT, like the ACT is supposed to indicate my readiness for college and beyond. Does it? NOPE! Is this test a true measure of me? NOPE! The SAT does not give a good evaluation of the whole person, but it does give a good evaluation of some characteristics and skills that a person might have.
The SAT & ACT are unique and stressful tests that colleges use to evaluate students for admissions potential. The only reason we take these tests is to help us with our educational goals, and ultimately with our career goals, if we need a post-secondary education to achieve those. These tests are unique in formatting. They aren’t like any tests we take in our classrooms, or any way in which we demonstrate our mastery of knowledge while in high school. The test spans about half a day, longer than any test we take in classrooms.
These tests, show a student’s ability to use deductive reasoning. They are a good indicator of a student’s ability to take a test or to manage themselves in a stressful situation. The tests show our ability to take a standardized test with memorized information. These tests are also certainly a good representation of basic proficiency in Math and Language Arts. Finally, they show a student’s academic stamina, with their ability to focus for multiple hours on taking the test.
The tests though leave so many aspects of a person unrepresented. One of the most important unrepresented characteristics in my opinion is work ethic. It seems that for most people, any obstacle encountered academically can be remedied with hard work and the drive to achieve their goal. Another important characteristic not shown with the SAT is emotional intelligence. The ability of a student to recognize, understand, and manage their own emotions and their ability to navigate relationships is extremely important on their path to success.
Finally, many students thrive with experiential and project-based learning. While some of those students may not be the best test takers, they have the ability to demonstrate their mastery of knowledge in other ways and likely have extremely well-developed critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills. This type of student is likely to be extremely successful in college and in life beyond, but there is no measurement for their abilities on a test like the SAT.
I know many colleges and universities have gone in recent years to test optional admissions policies and I am also aware that many are set to revert back to test mandatory policies in the near future. I also know that the SAT is only a small piece of what colleges evaluate in their attempt to look at the whole person. I hope that as my younger sisters approach their college application process in a few years, more colleges are find ways to allow students to show their content mastery with other platforms.