You’re told the SAT matters, and that it’s the key to your future. But here’s the secret: it’s not. Colleges pretend it’s essential, but most have realized it’s just a pricey game. The SAT’s relevance dwindles with every “test optional” declaration. For the elite few chasing Ivy League dreams, even a high score doesn’t guarantee a golden ticket. CollegeBoard’s greed is as glaring as its inconsequential exam. They profit off students’ dreams, callously deceiving them into squandering time, opportunity, and precious money.
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it’s really the only truly objective way of measuring students. And it IS used by many schools. Some schools with a 40% acceptance rate have a 5% acceptance rate for test optional applicants.
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For students who dont attend acccredited US schools in person, it may be the only way of confirming their academic achievement. But you are right, for many students it has become unnecessary.
Why ? If it’s required by the college and many do and / or if I wanted to improve my chance of admission and or merit at school where it could or would do that.
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Because it is only a few hours of your time and it may prove helpful in the future.
That perfect score impressed more than one employer.
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Who puts SAT scores in a resume? It’s not something I would generally recommend for anyone over age 22 (and honestly not even then).
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Not on a resume. Asked in a job application when student was under age 22.
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Who says this?
It can help put you on a path - but I’ve never heard anyone say it’s key to your future.
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It can also help qualify for some merit scholarships. It is just 3 hours. If it really stresses out the student or they are poor test takers, skip it. For many it is no big deal to spend a Saturday morning on it.
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I personally despise the College Board and we opted out of all standardized testing (even non-College Board state testing). That worked for us. But to each their own. Some find it useful and power to them. Some don’t and that’s OK, too (unless they want to attend one of the colleges that do still require it). We live in California so it was relatively easy for us to opt out of SAT since all of our publics are test blind anyway.
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And this is key - there are some schools, more each day where a test is required. And then others who give increased merit.
But if you’re going to a CA public - yep, zero reason to take it.
I think to answer OP - it depends on the kid - and where they are interested in going. Many a school, from Purdue to Gtown to the Florida publics, several Georgia publics, Tennessee publics, etc. require it and others tie increased merit to a test vs. going TO.
So it totally depends on the kid and selection list.
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It seems like the expectation today is that test prep takes many hours over many weeks or months. That, rather than the three hours spent on the test, may be what some students are seeing the SAT (or ACT) with implied associated test prep as a low value use of their time.
Of course, even though the norm may be to spend a lot of time on test prep, such a norm may be very time-inefficient test prep. Probably many students will do well with just a short amount of test familiarization (I spent around 15 minutes or less on SAT prep decades ago). Others may prep efficiently by doing a released old test and then studying only for those types of questions that they tend to get incorrect (rather than spending a lot of time studying for everything that may be on the test).
The PSAT taken in 11th grade can help get some of the bigger ones if the student reaches the National Merit Semifinalist threshold.
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True - but that works for much fewer as few as a % qualify.
But it’s a fair point, there are some great ones - including full rides.
not everyone lives in, or wants to study in, California. And most of the rest of the country wants to see test scores
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Opposite coast, but I think we’re in the same group.
As a student, I was a proud, indefatigable test taker. With my first born, he and I continued to fall into the allure of appeasing the test gods, and feared what would happen if he(we) failed to satisfy them. Now with child #2 on the cusp and #3 not far behind, I’ve shaken the shackles of this game.
As you said, “to each their own”, and I think it’s great for someone who continues to revere the test to use it to help gain entry to a dream school that requires test scores. That’s their dream and more power to them in pursuit of it.
I also applaud those who go against the grain and decide against putting their fate in the hands of these flawed mechanisms.
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It is a graduation requirement in several states.
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The ACT is supposedly mandatory in NC. Yet in 2020, my son was enrolled in a public high school didn’t take it and there were no repercussions. He’d taken the SAT a couple of times, was satisfied with what he had, and didn’t want to sit for another standardized test. I asked the principal and was told it’s not an actual graduation requirement though it’s phrased that way - that mostly it’s given for two reasons. 1) so those who can’t afford to pay to take it get a chance to take it. 2) For districts to have another metric to track school performance and/or give schools another test to teach to.
I wonder how strict a requirement the SAT/ACT is in any state?
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Actually the opposite is true. Every year, more colleges go test optional or test blind. I think this trend will continue and the SAT and ACT will die a slow death.
I recognize that now, the test is still required by certain schools and for certain merit awards. But there are plenty of colleges out there that don’t require it.
But until that happens…I agree with others. Just take the test. It’s 3 hours of your time and you don’t have to ever use it if you don’t want or need to now.
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All of my kids are pretty good standardized test takers, I’m glad they could boost their applications with test scores.
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