Are the SATs Necessary for College Admissions?

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As a Junior in HS i know for a fact that i don't care about standardized tests. I dread the day that I will have to wake up early on the weekend just to take a test that costs $50 that I don't even want to take. these tests also make students work harder because of what they stand for in terms of college admission. If colleges strictly looked at school records and grades then all students would study for tests and they would all do their homework all the time.

Isabel of NJ 8:09PM January 29, 2012

It appears that college acceptance depends more on shrewd and savvy parents and their ambitions and legacies than on the kids. Hopefully, later on in life, the kids who did it for themselves will have that satisfaction. "...bless the child that got his own..."

Barbara Brooks of NJ 8:34PM February 20, 2010

My wife and I are going thru the college process with our oldest child. This has been a 12 year process. In the ninth grade he took the SAT for placement in summer programs. We were happy with his 760 Math score however the critical reading was in the 60% level. We attributed this to his age and limited reading at the high school and college level. The placement allowed him to attend Harvard's summer program where he received A's in calculus, multi-variable calculus and differential equations / linear algebra. He took the SAT AP Calculus BC exam received a 5, SAT II Math Level II and received a 800, and retook the SAT I's to receive a 800 in Math and 80% in critical reading.
He is scheduled to take the SAT I's again in October. My recommendation to him was to no bid the Math section of the exam. Our guidance counselor explained that might be an issue. Upon examination and discussion with the Supervisor at the SAT hotline, not completing the Math would cause the entire exam not to be scored. I further inquired about scoring all A’s on the test sheet (Christmas Tree the sheet). I was told that a score different than 150 points on any section would cause an assertion of cheating.
Like it or not merit scholarships are judged on SAT score. My son is an Eagle Scout with six palms, is on a varsity sports team, will have taken eight AP classes, is independently studying for two additional AP subjects, is taking two courses at the local college next semester, and is working on his private pilot’s license. For the folks at the College Board to accuse him of cheating is repulsive. It is time for the game called the SAT to be replaced.

John Wurts of MA 9:24AM September 28, 2009

If the SAT and other standardized tests were not timed, my son would score twice as high. He is now a sophomore in a private college in Northern California with a 3.74 GPA, a member of the NCAA Div.III baseball team, one of the 10 elected student government members, Finance Club coordinator, and also started and runs the Croquet Club. He would be denied admission at many top universities and colleges just because he does not do well on timed, standardized tests. There are many professions that require slow and careful analyzation of data, etc. Some colleges may miss out on some of the best students such as my son by not considering the well-rounded student who prides himself in being details oriented and concientious in everything he does. Why does everything have to be a race??!!

Laura Dawson of AZ 5:18PM September 24, 2009

My son was wait listed at a very good state school and accepted to many good private schools and ended up at Cornell, graduated with honors and attended University of Maryland on a research fellowship. My feeling was that because his SAT was 1190-(have been told they toss anything under 1200)that was it. No attention was given to essays, community service, passion, extracurricular, or grades- just easier to weed out by the score which is pretty sad.

Karen Williamson of NY 4:48PM September 23, 2009

It is morally and ethically wrong to deny someone admission to college (undergraduate or graduate) based on predictors that are innately flawed and biased toward more affluent applicants. Any admissions decision that utilizes standardized test scores should also take the socioeconomic status of the applicant equally into account.
So should we discard these tests?
No. But we should definitely marginalize their role in our admissions processes. Many institutions are already doing this. It would be nice if more institutions were on the leading edge of this movement instead of waiting to see what other colleges and universities are doing before adjusting their policies to reflect this inevitable trend.
Standardized tests, as they are currently used in our society, have reached the pinnacle of their utility and I am convinced that our reliance on them will decline in the future as their inherent weaknesses are more clearly understood and publicized. We need to begin to see assessment as a much more comprehensive process oriented more toward inclusion than exclusion.
And yes, we need to insure that we admit students who are qualified to be here. But there are better ways of doing this that do not involve an almost exclusive reliance on traditional standardized tests. Even the major testing companies are beginning to acknowledge the inherent limitations of their more established instruments as predictors of future academic performance.
In a move that has been applauded by many, the Educational Testing Service recently introduced a new instrument, the Personal Potential Index (PPI), that looks at a number of factors outside the cognitive realm that are considered essential for success in graduate school. These characteristics include creativity, teamwork, and integrity; i.e., factors that are obviously integral to student success but are not measured by traditional tests such as the GRE.
Incidentally, these are exactly the kinds of characteristics that ‘nontraditional’ (typically older, more mature) students consistently report as being the critical determinants of their success in college or graduate school. Motivation, attitude and perseverance tend to be more accurate predictors of achievement among this group than intellectual or cognitive ability.
Again, the truth is that individuals from poor families have had to deal with numerous challenges that those with more affluent origins cannot even begin to understand or appreciate. For these people, standardized test scores tend to be more reflective of their socioeconomic background -- and racial/ethnic heritage -- than their actual educational potential.
Standardized tests will probably always have their place in one form or another. What we need to recognize and confront is the irrational confidence we seem to have in what they actually tell us. The efficiency we achieve from these tests simply does not justify the harm they do to individuals from lower socioeconomic classes.

Aaron W. Hughey of KY 8:46AM September 10, 2009

Test data does not allow better decisions because if you want to succeed on the SAT all you have to do is pay $900 for 1 hour and 40 minutres of tutoring twice a week for 10 weeks prior to the test. In additin, you need to pay $2800 to a doctor that will give you three to four hours of tests to determine if you have a slight learning issue that will allow you to take the SAT un-timed. Then on the morning of the test....borrow some Adderall (a brand-name drug psychostimulant composed of amphetamines, which is thought to work by increasing the amount of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain which will increase alertness, concentration and overall cognitive performance while decreasing user fatigue) from a friend to help you stay focused for the duration of the test. If you don't think that everyone is playing this game then...think again. This is such a joke and fianlly if all that fails then the real crime is committed when the brillant test taking kids are paid to take the SAT for another student. This phenomenon is becoming so widespread. Especially since colleges keep putting applications in the trash when the child doesn't score above a 700 on the math or reading sections. At the end of the day, it is all about the SATs and I don't believe the admissions office when they say otherwise unless it is a black, hispanic, first generation, legacy or athlete. This is not a meritocracy or level playing field and anyone who thinks so is kidding themselves! Therefore, the standardized test scores are NOT a fair and relialbe way to judge the success of a potential college candidate!

Michael Peters of NY 10:06PM August 28, 2009

Standardized tests should not carry significant weight in the college admissions process. These tests are a bunch of hype and should not be used to determine how well a student will perform in college. I have two Associate Degrees, a BA, and a Master. I graduated with honors in each degree displaying a GPA of 3.8 or more. My low scores on the SAT and ACT tests were not reflections of my performance. I worked hard, study long, and was determine to succeed. These tests were not able to measure my determination and my drive to be successful. I would like to commend Jill Tiefenthaler for taking the bold step to change the admission process at Wake Forest University. By not solely relying on standardized tests, this will give so many individuals the opportunity to display their talents and abilities.

Patricia Ghant of TN 2:23PM August 24, 2009

When I entered grad school I had to take the GRE. I didn't perform well and was advised that I should consider saving money by not attending. My scores categorized me as a high risk student not likely to graduate. This was a pressure I didn't need however, being a soldier, I pressed on because I don't quit. It was my desire to earn a Master of Science in Computer Science. I had an under graduate degree in Legal and Political Studies which didn't require much math so, I needed to take most of the under graduate coarses while taking the graduate and serving in the military. Well....I finished several years later with a grade point average of 3.54! Test scores in my book don't mean a thing. People want to learn so why not educate them?

Don Rector of IL 11:49AM August 22, 2009

I do not believe that so much credence should be placed in standardized tests such as the SAT. The SAT does not measure the drive or integrity of the students taking the test.
I would much rather admit a student with a high GPA (4.4)in high school based on advanced classes and an average to above average SAT score (1100) verses a student that scores 1350 or higher on the SAT and has a 3.2-3.4 high school GPA. The student that has the 4.4 GPA is a driven overachiever and will also achieve success at difficult colleges.
I can point to several cases in which a student scored above 1300 on the SAT with average high school grades (3.2) and flunked out of college their first year because they lacked the drive to be successful.
A weighted model that uses the SAT score, high school GPA, letters of recommendation, and activities would give a better insight into the drive and motivation of the student. A greater weight should be placed on the high school GPA (40%) and outside activities (25%) than the SAT (20%) and letters of recommendation (15%).
I can understand why Gaston Caperton believes in the SAT since he has a financial motivation as President of the College Board.
Let's look beyond a stnadardized test and try to look at the individual student's personality and drive as a measure of his or her probable success in college.

Mark W. of AL 6:08PM August 20, 2009