The SAT has been the staple, along with the ACT, of college admissions in the USA for years. It is designed to assess a student’s reading, math, and writing skills. However, the question everyone wants to know is does the SAT truly reflect one’s intelligence and capability. On one hand, the SAT supporters claim that these standardized tests provide an accurate measure to a student’s academic abilities and that this test offers colleges a standardized tool that can evaluate everyone regardless of background equally. This would allow admissions officers to make informed decisions regarding copious quantities of candidates for their college. Additionally, these advocates suggest that the SAT tests in depth not just academic skills but also more important skills. These skills include time management, problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytical reasoning. These skills are all crucial for handling the demanding course load of college courses. All these skills are essential for higher education and what is to come after school. This test is a helpful benchmark tool for evaluating the readiness of students for college.

However, critics of the SAT raise concerns about its ability to accurately assess a student’s academic potential. One of the largest criticisms of the test is the relation between socioeconomic status and test performance. According to a study found by Harvard (Wide gap in SAT/ACT test scores between wealthy, lower-income kids — Harvard Gazette), their research suggests that students from wealthier backgrounds tend to score significantly higher than that of students from lower income backgrounds. This disparity is primarily attributed to a higher quality of education, more access to tutoring services, access to private tests, and test preparation resources. Furthermore, the format of the SAT does not adequately encompass a student’s full range of skills. While the test does test the skills reading, writing, and math. It does not test skills such as leadership, dedication, perseverance, integrity, and emotional intelligence which are far superior for students coming into the adult world. The final criticism of the SAT is that its emphasis on being a baseline standard test and yet its importance in the college admissions process varies among each school. Some schools place extremely heavy emphasis on the SAT, others focus on GP, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, etc.

With both views considered, the SAT does not fully reflect a student’s real potential. This is due to it not taking in a student’s entire range of skills, but rather focusing on math, reading, and writing skills. Colleges focusing more on GPA, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation will more accurately show a student’s potential. These skills demonstrated through the above are far more accurate in determining just what a student is truly capable of.