<p>I think it is an unfair means of assessing one's abilities. The variables that might affect how you do on these types of tests are endless, and some affect you more than others. For instance, I didn't get a good background in Geometry and other types of math since I went to a poor middle school and poor high school during my sophomore year. Because of my weak background in math, my math section of the SAT was low. However, I am a great math student in school. I am a great, dedicated student overall with a 3.8 GPA. Because of my lower SAT math score, an adcom might assume that my grades are inflated. This is totally unfair! I wish college adcoms would do away with unfair tests like the SAT and ACT</p>
<p>“I think it is an unfair means of assessing one’s abilities. The variables that might affect how you do on these types of tests are endless, and some affect you more than others.”</p>
<p>This is true of every test or challenge you will ever face.</p>
<p>3.8 GPA means different things too. If you went to a school that was more or less rigorous, your GPA would be different. If your parents were richer you’d probably have gone to a better school. And so on. No one lives in a vacuum and there’s no truly fair assessment of anyone’s abilities.</p>
<p>I think they are a horrible way to test a student’s skills, but so is any standardized test. The ACT/SAT are better than the PSAT though, I think that test is the worst one of all (one test that you have one shot at determines whether or not you can earn a lot of scholarships…). Oh well, at least there are many ways students can practice for these tests</p>
<p>Personally I feel like I don’t like the SAT because it’s been proven to differentiate from race to race and socioeconomic status. Someone who can’t afford a book to practice or a tutor will generally score lower (not my excuse, but ijs). Of course that can happen on any test and the test is necessary, but to me it’s still considered too important because there are schools that I should be able to get into, but my SAT holds me down. But hey, I guess I’m bias and those ivy-applying people will say I’m just upset because I didn’t score a 2000+. Oh well.</p>
<p>And that’s not to mention those of lower socioeconomic status who are surrounded by people who don’t know much about the test, so they don’t even know they’re supposed to find a way to study for it until it’s too late. That’s just my 2 cents/2 posts :D</p>
<p>I hate them! I think they’re unfair. Some people are really good exam takers and others (like me!) aren’t that good resulting them in getting a low score no matter how much they study for it.</p>
<p>I feel it does take away from the GPA but I agree that it would be unfair. On most of my exams I always ace math as the highest. however, back in tenth grade I have horrible geometry teachers. It wasn’t fair that I couldn’t even figure out most of the geometry problem on theSAT. I also think that neither tests actually determine how well a student might perform (cooking, art, music, algebra only, phycology, history!!, etc.)</p>
<p>Sent from my LG-VM696 using CC</p>
<p>SAT/ACT are only necessary because GPA’s across all American schools are not equivalent to each other.</p>
<p>Also, it has been shown with the SAT that it is more correlated to socioeconomic status (not sure about race), but less correlated to success during your freshman year in college (about +.30 correlation, not that strong).</p>
<p>The tests themselves don’t really mean much, it’s just another way of evaluating a student in college admissions.</p>
<p>Don’t let test scores stop you from applying to a school (Although you need to evaluate if you could fit in with that school if accepted).</p>
<p>Scores are not everything.</p>
<p>Meh, there’s no perfect way to test someone’s intelligence, and the SAT/ACT are no different. Other than GPA (which can greatly vary between schools mind you), there really isn’t an alternative, unfortunately. Unless you want to have to take the SAT, ACT, and other various tests that test you all differently.</p>
<p>I actually love them. They test everyone on an equal playing field.</p>
<p>The tests are fine.
“I didn’t learn this stuff/my teachers were bad”
Get a book (check it out from a public library if you have to) or watch some youtube videos and learn it yourself. It’s not like the content on these tests is a surprise. You have no such excuse in college - all your peers will learn what’s required for the exams regardless of how poor the professor is.</p>
<p>Before this thread devolves into high scorers saying the tests are fair and lower scorers saying the test is unfair and unneeded, I’ll offer my perspective.</p>
<p>The SAT/ACT are needed tools for college admissions. It’s a fact of life. There has to be some way to compare students in a non-standardized high school system. If we could assure that every high school taught the same thing at the same rigor and pace, then standardized tests would not be needed. But since they don’t (nor should they), we need the SAT/ACT as methods of comparison.</p>
<p>I know that CollegeBoard and ACT speaks about how it “correlates” to college success. I won’t claim to know whether this is true. But, what I will say is that SAT and ACT are needed for comparison, and they do level the playing field to a certain extent. They provide those in worse situations a path to college. And while they do favor more affluent households, that is not grounds for removal.</p>
<p>And beyond that, it doesn’t matter whether they are fair or not. They are here, and we have to take them. That’s all there is to it. It doesn’t matter what you think of them; we have to score well on them, so stop whining and study. I honestly despise complaining (this is ironic, I know). If you have a hard time with the SAT’s, then stop whining about them online and go study. Not that complicated.</p>
<p>It’s more than college and a certain score will help you get in…
It’s a basis of pride/honor that people value and judge other students by. They ask: “What’s your SAT score?” And if the response is not 2000+, then comes back that “oh.” It’s a question that makes an otherwise smart/talented person look bad and the person asking feel good about themselves (or at least think they can do better if they haven’t taken it yet).</p>
<p>Whatever I say. Once I get to college and compete in my own major, it’s a whole different competition–and yes there indeed is a correlation with SAT scores, I’m just the outlier.</p>
<p>“I think it is an unfair means of assessing one’s abilities. The variables that might affect how you do on these types of tests are endless, and some affect you more than others.”</p>
<p>I totally disagree. I mean, some people can definitely say that your GPA is an unfair means of assessing one’s abilities. In 10th grade I had strong depression that no one but my guidance counselor knew about, and I couldn’t get any real, professional help because my parents were the one’s causing my depression. There, colleges will see my low GPA and think I don’t have the ability to preform at a high standard, not that I just had a rough year emotionally.</p>
<p>I’m lucky to be good at reasoning, so I’m glad my good SAT score maybe make up a bit for some of my bad grades. Your SAT maybe low, but your GPA I’m sure will make up for it.</p>
<p>Also, I don’t get how you can lump the SAT and ACT together. ACT is based on knowledge, SAT on reasoning.</p>
<p>I don’t like them, I don’t like standardized tests at all, I think that’s why America is considered “Dumb” to be honest</p>
<p>@Jazzii- Well China’s definitely not considered ‘dumb’, but they have the infamous College Admissions Exam :S</p>
<p>Well I hadn’t thought of China lol, but I was reading an article about finland which is #1 (or 2) in education and researches said 2 things they have that the US doesn’t is an hour long recess for every grade, and no standardized tests</p>
<p>In Finland, there’s not standardized testing until high school, not forever. It’s a nice “education is fun” environment instead of a “education is needed so you get a proper job and make money when you’re older”</p>
<p>I think the SAT is really dumb. I think the ACT is way better in theory (I didn’t take it because I’m not that good at math/science) because it actually tests knowledge rather than “reasoning”. I think the APs are the best predicter of college performance, because they’re most like real college tests. The SAT is dumb and unfair; its prompts are absurd and have nothing to do with real life and it seems like it tests your ability to beat its tricks more than any real knowledge. They should replace it with something meaningful.</p>
<p>I hate the ACT. That stupid test, I hate that I live in the Midwest, therefore I MUST take that test. I prefer the SAT.</p>