Written by: Linh Nguyen, 12
Photographed by: Ashley Miller, 12
The first Saturday of October is almost here, and you know what that means! And no, I’m not talking about the celebrated Christmas season in the Philippines, but the introduction of this school year’s Scholastic Assessment Test. Oh yes, the dreaded SATs are finally here!
For those in ISM who aspire to study in elite colleges across America, the SATs are more than just tests. They are critical measurements, taken at the beginning of October, November, December, May and June each year, that college admissions consider when viewing students’ applications. Ultimately, the standardized tests are predictions of how well high school students are expected to perform in a college environment. As a result of the gravity that these tests hold in a student’s college application, the pressure to score high can, at times, be painfully brutal. After all, it is widely perceived that disparities of as little as 50 points could mean the difference between getting into one school or another. Yet, following all the hype of SATs, one question lingers in the minds of students throughout ISM, and in all likelihood, the rest of the world; are the SATs accurate measurements of a student’s academic potential?
Personally, I believe the SATs assess students’ concentration endurance and test taking skills, rather than actual intelligence level. The design of the test allows students to retake the SAT until they achieve a desired score, which thus encourages them to memorize grammar rules, vocabulary and math concepts that are common in the test. Therefore, the nature of the test forces students to apply tips on how to exploit the design of the test and regurgitate memorized concepts. Scott Cooper, a senior student who has taken the SATs, remarks, “The SATs do not accurately reflect a student’s critical thinking skills, [or their] creative problem solving and confidence, which is what colleges need to know”. Furthermore, senior student BacHa Bui, who has also taken the standardized test, says that “the SATs are unfair for those who have bad test-taking skills. The SATs give colleges a very narrow view of students’ innovative side”.
Though the general resentment towards the SATs tests is evident, there is security in knowing that our college applications are not wholly defined by these examinations. There may come a time when the SAT evolves to become a fairer evaluation of the variety of talents that students foster, but until that time comes perhaps we should enjoy this SAT season for what its truly worth; academically rigorous, but continuously educational.
