While many students excel on the SAT due to pure
intelligence, some excel simply because they are what is known as SAT savvy –
they know how to “play the game.” At this stage in the game, I am sure that
everyone has taken the SAT at least once. That being said, how many of your
friends have shocked you with their scores? Students taking three AP courses,
participating in National Honor Society, and receiving distinguished honors
every marking period may very well have gotten a less than outstanding SAT
score. Of the same accord, students in all college prep classes with below
average GPAs have achieved SAT scores you’ve always dreamed of getting. Whether
SAT scores are true measures of intelligence has stirred up quite a bit of
controversy lately, called to attention in the article “What Does the SAT Actually Measure?”
Fun fact, the
SATs were originally intended to be a different form of an IQ test and thus
were considered able to measure “innate scholastic ability.” However, it is
believed that many individuals famous for their academic achievement, such as
Albert Einstein, would have flunked their SATs miserably. If that’s the case,
how is it that those of average intelligence are supposed to be able to excel
on the SATs if even geniuses couldn’t? Well, it turns out that the SAT doesn’t
actually measure overall intelligence. Huh? Then why bother? The SAT actually
is intended to measure “a particular kind of academic intelligence.” If you
think about it, that actually makes a lot of sense. No, the SAT is not your
average classroom test; however, it was never meant to be. It only tests specific academic skills, not overall intelligence. Perhaps that is why they don’t
include a history section on the SAT. Since the critical reading portion is
already included, all the history section would cover would be the simple
memorization of facts – which is not one of the skills the SAT emphasizes. 
Maybe the
better question is, does the SAT predict success? In my opinion, absolutely not.
While the SAT may provide an accurate depiction of intelligence based on the
skills it does test, I do not believe
that it is a symbol of pure intelligence, common sense, or any indication of
how successful an individual will be. How many wealthy and successful adults
have told you not to go too crazy over schoolwork, SATs included? Referring
back to the Albert Einstein example, if you were him, would you really care
about your SAT scores if you were one of the greatest physicists of all time? I
don’t think so. Your high school SAT scores are not an indication of what the
rest of your life will be like. Who’s to say you won’t end up living in a
gorgeous, million dollar apartment in the city working on Wall Street? Tell me,
will your SAT scores matter then? Will they even matter once we’re all actually
admitted into a school? By May, chances are, the SAT won’t cross our minds
again until our siblings or our own children are studying for them.
What do you think? Were your SAT scores an accurate
portrayal of your intelligence? Is there a better way to test a student’s
intelligence? Do you feel that the SAT predicts success? Do you think it’s important that we even take the SATs?
I agree with Kasey that the SAT cannot indicate success in college. Although it does indicate whether or not a student has had an adequate education to enter college, it doesn't factor in things like work ethic. I did above average on the critical thinking of the SAT but below average on the math section. I am not in an advanced math class, but I do very well in the cp class because I work hard. No matter how smart you are, you need to work in college or you will fail. There may be an intelligent student with excellent SAT scores who is immature and never goes to class; he will fail. while on the other hand, there could be a student with a learning disability who does poorly on the SAT, but who works constantly to make up for his disability; he will succeed in college when the other student would fail, despite the indications of the SAT.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Kasey and Olivia that the SAT does not give an appropriate indication of our future success. I personally don't think my SAT scores reflect my academic achievement in school. The SAT can't test how I will perform in college because it can't test my work ethic, values or all of my intelligence. In my personal opinion, the SAT is a test that can be learned. If you devote your time to learning how to take the SAT, you can do very well on it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/sats/test/what.html
In a PBS article, I learned that the SAT was originally used to measure the "innate ability of students" and tested their aptitude and not necessarily what they learned in school. One researcher stated that, "the test has been found to measure only about 18 percent of the things that it takes to do well in school, and thus is not a very good predictor of how a student will do in college." With this being said, I don't think colleges should use these test scores as a major part of their decision when accepting an applicant. Although I think these scores do have some value, even if it may not be much, colleges should use them in a holistic review of an applicant. If a college sees an entire profile of a student, the college can make a more informed judgement on whether or not the student will succeed.
I find that the SAT does test your reading comprehension skills and knowledge in math, it also tests your endurance and stamina. When broken up, I found the SAT to be much easier in pieces than when taken all at once in a long 4 hour time frame. Students' scores may drop because they do become lazy and tired from previous sections and stress.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the SAT does not always match up to a student's academic success, but I do think its necessary in the college process to test students with one common test. Students applying to college come from all different schools. An IHA student might have a 90 average because of her rigorous classes and student from a less selective school/public school may have a 95 average because her classes are less as difficult. Obviously, it was harder for the IHA student to acquire a 90 than it was for the other student to achieve a 95. To a university admissions officer, the IHA student does not look as qualified as the other student. But with the SAT the admissions officer can look at the scores of both students on one exam that was not created by a certain teacher in a certain subject, but an aptitude test used by every student. Of course, some students spend months preparing for the test while others simply show up on test day, but that is in the student's hands to study or not.
As far as success in and after college, it should not be based on SAT scores because the SAT does not test street smarts nor common sense. In the real world, test scores don't define your qualification for a position in a field, your knowledge of the subject and thorough preparation do. An SAT score will definitely not make or break a career.
In my personal opinion, and in my experience, the SAT is not a reflection of a student in any aspect of academic achievement. In a lot of cases it really tests how much money you have and are willing to spend to succeed. You can spend up to 1,000$ on an SAT course, and even more than that on a fancy tutor. Between the books, and the actual cost of the test, the entire thing is just a business. It is very frustrating to me because I took a class, and still felt had I gotten a more expensive private tutor that catered to my specific needs I would have done much better. I'm not saying that an extremely driven and hard working student is incapable of excelling on the SAT, I'm simply saying that some scores are unfair because not everyone is given the same tools for studying.
ReplyDeleteI also find that some of the subjects tested are irrelevant to what we learn at the time of the test. While the SAT math section consists of an overwhelming amount of Geometry, that class is taken in freshman and sophomore year, and most people don't take the SAT until late junior year. The ACT in my opinion is a much better test. On the SAT if you guess on an answer and it's wrong you lose points. The ACT doesn't penalize you for wrong answers, so if you're stuck between two options you are more likely to get it right, where on the SAT you just wouldn't answer.
I agree that the SAT is an unfair test, but thankfully colleges look at much more than just this general score. So that leaves the question: Why bother having it at all? Does it show how well you perform as a student? What is the point of the SAT?
I agree with everyone that the SAT does not accurately portray how intelligent or how successful a person may be. I definitely do not think my SAT scores portrayed my intelligence and how successful I am as a student. I have never taken a college prep class throughout high school, yet I wouldn't doubt that girls in college prep courses scored fairly higher than I did. In my opinion, people who take easier classes tend to do better since the SAT math section is all basic math that I forgot how to do from eighth grade and freshman year.
ReplyDeleteI think the ACTs are a slightly better way to test a student's intelligence, even though it is still not the perfect way. The ACTs test you on important topics such as science, basic grammar, and higher level math instead of just geometry and trying to find patterns. I think it is important to take the SATs because it's a way for colleges to set a minimum standard; however, I do not think they should be heavily considered in the college application process. A college could be denying an incredibly intelligent student who would do great in that college just because of one score on a test that does not even accurately portray intelligence.
I am so against the SAT and ACT standardized tests. I feel as if they do not accurately portray any student, regardless of whether they scored high or low. It doesn't make sense that after 11 or so years of schooling, students need to learn all new technique,strategies, and concepts just for one test. Also, it does not create a level playing field because some students cannot afford a tutor for the SATs and therefore will not be as prepared as those who have taken SAT preparation courses. Unfortunately, those who are financially challenged feel pressured to do well on the SATs in order to qualify for scholarships but how are they going to do perform their best if they cannot afford the special services that many seek? Additionally, the long time stretch is something that is very unfamiliar for most students causing them to be caught off guard and resulting in a potentially lower score. In conclusion, I believe that if colleges want to get to know you as a student,transcripts,recommendation letters,resumes and interviews are more than enough to judge a students academic skills and intellectual abilities. Many colleges are seeing the faults in the SAT/ACT standardized and changing their the application requirements from mandatory tests to test optional. These schools tend to be the less selective schools so when are the smarter, more selective schools going to become a part of this tend?
ReplyDeleteI agree with what most of the people above wrote. I also do not support using the SAT as a major qualification for college admissions. The SAT, as Kasey said, does not test our academic ability, rather, it tests our ability to use strategies and how well we take tests. In my personal experience, I did not even utilize my math skills when taking the math section of the test because my SAT tutor showed me strategies that work with every type of problem that the test presents. This being said, the SAT didn't even test my math skills, but my ability to memorize the strategies I learned from my tutor and applying them to each problem. As Christine said, our admission into college should not be determined by a test that requires learning new strategies and techniques after eleven years of schooling. In my opinion, I do not believe that the SAT accurately portrays a student's intelligence. While certain skills are tested in the SAT, a majority of them that students use during school, such as work ethic and time management, are not judged on the test. Therefore, I do not believe that the SAT predicts one's future success in life because the SAT is not accurate in portraying one's intelligence or academic skills that are most needed for college and for one's future.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that having one standardized test may help colleges understand how much a student has learned in high school and how where they went to school affected their grades, I do not believe that the SAT is an accurate test of this. The SAT doesn’t really test you on content and knowledge you learned throughout high school, but how well you can take their specific test. I remember my SAT math tutor telling me that “this isn’t regular math, it is SAT math”, when I was solving a problem. He told me to forget many of the rules I learned in math class and focus on solving the math problem in the quickest way possible. How fast a person can complete a math problem is not a correct indicator of their intelligence. Also, the vocabulary part of the SAT is ridiculous. Just because someone doesn’t know the definition of 10 strange words does not mean they aren’t as smart as someone who does. I think that a lot of people find that their SAT scores do not match their intelligence level or school work because the SAT doesn’t test a person’s dedication and hard work, but their ability to answer specific types of questions.
ReplyDeleteI understand why we have to take the SATs. No, I do not think that they are an accurate account of intelligence but it also wouldn’t be fair if there was no standard test that everyone had to take. Coming from IHA I think we all know that some schools are more difficult than others. Every school, along with every teacher, has a different grading system. By looking at my friends tests from public school, I know that I am doing more work at a higher level; yet they are in “honors” and I am in “college prep.” Due to this I agree with the standard test that everyone has to take to get into most colleges; however, the SAT in particular is definitely not a fair judge of one’s academic skill. As Kasey said it only tests specific skills and those may not be our best skills.
ReplyDeleteIf you’re like me and don’t excel at standardized tests then, then sorry but you’re out of luck. Some colleges are starting to catch on to this and making their schools test optional. I think this is the best of both worlds if there is an interview involved to genuinely test ones intelligence; as I said before, colleges cannot truly test our intelligence level by GPA alone.
I can’t think of a better solution than this. In the future hopefully they will create a test that every student can prove their strong skills to colleges, but for now test optional schools are the best bet for people like me who are not the best test takers.
I also do not feel that the SAT is a fair indicator of intelligence. While I do understand that a standardized test is necessary for colleges to get a sense of a student's skills aside from the level of difficulty of their high school, I feel that a better test could be developed which more accurately measures intelligence. After going through the whole SAT process, I've found that success on the SAT is determined by how many hours of personalized SAT tutoring you put in or how many SAT classes you took. I do not think it's fair that anyone, even someone with a below average GPA or poor working skills, can do well on this test simply by paying money to get a personal tutor. On the other hand, a highly intelligent student who, let's just say, can't afford to pay for an SAT tutor, will end up doing worse on the test. It isn't fair that the SAT has become a test of how well a student can take a test, and the testing method should be less strategic and more general. My sister, for example, only graduated high school 6 years ago, and does not even remember what she got on the SAT. This just goes to show how insignificant the test is in the scheme of things, and it in no way measures future success.
ReplyDeleteI fully side with Kasey on this point. The SAT is one of the biggest profit-driven hoaxes of the American education system, in my opinion. The test is simply NOT an accurate depiction of a students' academic ability. Just like Gina said, I understand that there is a purpose for administering such tests, as they help with the admissions process-but the SAT system has spun completely out of control. I was lucky enough to have parents that cared enough to pay for my extensive tutoring so I could get the scores I wanted, but many people that would want to, can't! It's just like college in general: everybody should have the right to an education, but tuition costs keep students from excelling. I know people that have turned down Princeton due to their inability to pay. Why should SAT scores be so dependent on what kind of money your parents are willing to donate to tutors and the College Board? It is absolutely ridiculous. The SAT barely tests school material. The students that paid for the proper training are indicated by their scores, which is unfortunate. At least after you take them, you never have to see them again, but for the small window of time that they consume your whole being (and a Saturday morning a month), it feels like they matter then. I just think that four years of school are a better barometer than four rushed hours of testing on a weekend.
ReplyDeleteSATs certainly do not measure the extent of one's intelligence. There are many factors that can work against a student: poor test taking skills, preoccupation with a personal matter, or just having a bad day. One can also "fool" the SAT, using tactics to squeeze every point possible out of the SATs. However, the SATs, while not a sole indicator of one's intelligence, is an indicator of certain skills that can be used in conjunction with other resources, like a student's transcript. SATs explore a student's ability to critically reason, a key skill in high school, college, and future jobs. This is not to say that someone who does poorly on an SAT is a poor critical thinker or will not be successful later in life. While this may actually be the case for certain test takers, as I said before, there are extenuating circumstances that can negatively affect scores. Students shouldn't worry so much about SATs. Good scores are really only important for the few months in which students apply to college, after which the scores become insignificant in a student's success. No one's future relies on one event; the SATs will not make or break a student's future.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree that the SATs cannot measure exactly how "smart" someone is, I do believe it is a necessary diagnostic tool for colleges. They need a baseline to evaluate students, and the SAT can be used to test specific skills. Today, the majority of colleges understand that the SATs are not a measure of intelligence; most of the college information sessions I attended emphasized that SATs scores did not mean everything. Yet, they presented the mean scores for their student population, setting a standard that each high school student feels pressured to live up to. The SATs are not definitive, though. More and more colleges today are allowing students to take other test options, like the ACTs and SAT Subject tests. The ACT, although another standardized test, evaluates other skills. I know many students who do poorly on the SAT, yet are able to supplement their applications with strong ACT scores. Also, the subject tests are a great outlet for students to show a specific talent. For example, I did not score as high on the math portion of the actual SAT--but took the SAT Math to show my prowess in the subject, without having to re-take the entire SAT. As Monika emphasized, one SAT score will not make or break a person--there are ways to compensate or supplement a bad performance.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kasey that the SAT/ACT do not determine how good a student is. Some people are simply not good test takers and do better in school. These standardize tests aren't always just about what you know, it's more of if you know how to take the test. Some students have great tutors to teach them all of the tricks on when to guess or strategical moves in order to get a high score. SAT prep has turned into a great business by the amount of money parents will pay to get a great tutor. Due to the fact that not every student has the opportunity to get a great tutor, I believe that there should be a test that is more based on what you know that how to take the test. I agree with Christina in the fact that there needs to be a baseline to evaluate students but I believe students should have the option of sending there scores to school for every school. For example, I do much better in class then I am at taking the Standardize Test. Some people learn differently and long tedious should not determine how "smart" someone is. This test is just a good evaluation of how well you can take that test, not how good of a student you are. A better test should be made in order to get into college because most of the problems just measure how fast you can answer the question and does not necessarily show that you know how to do all of the steps to get there.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that the SATs do not genuinely measure intelligence or critical thinking skills, but rather measure one's ability to simply "ace the SAT." The numerous SAT tutors I've been to have said the same thing: you must be trained on the SAT, its "ins and outs", common tricks, and exactly what the test makers want you to know. This information usually has little to do with one's innate intelligence, as memorized processes for how to solve SAT problems are what get most students the scores they want. I admire universities that have chosen to go "SAT-optional," realizing that the SAT is a very small indicator of what a potential student may offer the school. Even some of the nation's top academic institutions have let the SAT take a back seat, allowing academic GPAs and personal qualities play a more important role in the selection process. As college becomes more and more competitive, I hope more universities will follow suit, letting more talented students (perhaps not "SAT-savvy" ones)have their chance at success.
ReplyDeleteEverything's basically been said that I agree with- The SATs by no means portray a student's success, or intelligence. So much pressure are put on these tests above all else, where some people just aren't good with standardized tests, or can't focus for that long on a specific tast, or may very well just clam up with the nerves of the thing. There's no way it could objectively and adequately measure a person's intelligence, and above all else, intelligence isn't the one thing that will ensure success in life. Ability to socialize with people, or street-smarts rather than book-smarts, these are all things that could and maybe will help you out more in life than whatever number score the SAT said defined you.
ReplyDeleteI, being a poor test taker, definitely think the SATs do not do an adequate job at measuring a person's intelligence, BUT I don't see another way. I agree with everyone that street smarts will help you more than you know on the math portion of your SAT, but in order to get on the "street" you need to get through college and in order to get through college, you need to be "school-smart" (at least in some degree- if you go to IHA, you are most likely school-smart in some way). It's unfortunate, but it's true. I know many colleges don't require SAT scores and I'm extremely curious to see how this turns out. I guess we'll just have to wait for the statistics in my opinion.
ReplyDelete