Colleges and universities across the United States need methods to measure a student’s academic potential and fitness for their institution, and many schools rely on SAT scores to indicate academic value. This resulting number gives a tangible idea of how a student works in a high stress environment, illustrating how well a student can perform academically under time limits, weighing pressure, expectations, and unnerving atmospheres. However, an SAT score does not always capture the true potential in a student. No element of the SAT captures a student’s artistic ability or creative thought processes, which are becoming ever-important as artificial intelligence becomes stronger: creativity has become one of the few characteristics that differentiates a human from a machine. Yet, a student’s creativity cannot be measured by the SAT structure. Although this test does an impressive job indicating the book-smart potential and computational capabilities in a student, it cannot tell a university committee whether the student has an illustrative mind with bright ideas and plans. For that reason, the SAT is flawed.
That being said, there is no perfect way to capture the creative expression of a student. Many people think that creativity can only be expressed through artistic mediums, such as music, canvases, drawings and sketches, writing, and physical objects. But, creativity is not simply a measure of artistic ability—creativity is the range of which a student’s brain can explore. Some students may apply their creativity to math and science only, not able to show the same strengths through artistic or literary expressions. Other students may express their creativity through art or music only, unable to reflect it in their SAT. Some students may be strong writers, housing the next greatest piece of fiction within their minds, yet cannot showcase their creative stories on the systemized test. The SAT is great for students strong in the general academics, but it does not capture creativity, which in this day and age, is arguably more important than just being able to understand graphs.
I am fortunate enough to be well-rounded in my academics. Although I never took the SAT, my ACT score gives me an edge above my peers, settling at an impressive 33. I have a mind for math and a soul for STEM, as well as an ability to write, argue, analyze, and contemplate literature. I am a musician as well, and I have experience in debate and rhetoric. All that to say, the ACT is on my side, demonstrating my strengths and shaping me for success. That being said, I am well aware that many of my peers may have more academic value than I do, yet are not as fortunate as me with their SAT or ACT scores. They may be brilliant, yet cannot showcase their strengths on the standardized test. For those students, I advocate that the SAT and ACT are unfair demonstrations of talent, giving the wrong impression on a student’s creativity.