They should be required
There are a lot of entities that make up a college application, most things will tell college admissions officers what kind of person the applicant is and what work ethic they have. However, most details of an application do not tell college admissions where the student is academically; except for standardized tests.
Without standardized tests to help see where the student is, admissions officers have trouble distinguishing between someone likely to do well and someone likely to struggle in their establishment. In his New York Times Article, The Misguided War on the SAT David Leonhardt explains that, standardized testing contains real information about the knowledge and skills of the student, it helps predict college grades and chances of graduation at a specific college or university. Admissions officers always look for students who will learn, succeed, and fit in with the difficulty of their classes. Tests can determine this.
Standardized tests are one of the best ways to determine the knowledge and skills of a student. Although GPA and other methods are good predictors of grades and success, they have subjective factors such as teachers’ coverage of material and how they assess students. The SAT consists of the same questions for every kid allowing them to reveal what they have learned and know from their respective classes. The SAT also is a comparison between students, it shows which of them have the ability to learn the information provided and be able to show their knowledge in a standardized way.
Some people fear that not getting a perfect score on these tests will ruin their chances of getting into the college or university they aspire to attend. This is not true. Standardized tests are not the biggest part of a college application, producing a good essay and recommendation letters from teachers is a more significant deciding factor, according to the New York Times. Even though the SAT might seem like a really big and life-changing test, it is only used to predict the potential grades or success of a student.
Overall, standardized tests can predict how well a student will do and fit in at a college, it shows how much a student knows compared to their peers and classmates. Standardized tests don’t make or break your future, they only show what you have learned in your classes and school.
– Ryan Gage, Staff Writer
They should not be required
When it comes to testing requirements for college, it is a big discussion topic in the education world. Some say testing should be required for college because it shows how dedicated you are to testing. Others argue testing should not be required for college because it doesn’t show the full potential of how a student works. I believe testing should not be a requirement because one test shouldn’t define how you are as a student.
The SAT is culturally and statistically biased. In the New York Times article “Should Colleges Consider Standardized Tests in Admissions?” by Natalie Proulx, she says, “The tests’ critics worry that reinstating test requirements will reduce diversity.”
Race is one of the crucial information universities use upon reviewing applications. If everyone on a campus is the same, then nobody stands out in their own way.
Money plays a big part in testing and affects lower class kids aswell. A standardized SAT test is $60. Many students take the tests multiple times and pay for test prep that can cost anywhere from $50 to upwards of $1,000. These costs can affect low-income applicants’ ability to score as well as their peers. That’s one of the many reasons why testing shouldn’t have to be mandatory.
Standardized tests can show how you solve problems, but so do all the other tests you take in the school year. Why are high school grades better for students? If we have already learned these subjects and materials and then have finals or midterms on that subject.
An article by Forbes written by Brennan Barnard says, “At the national level, researchers have found evidence that standardized test scores such as the SAT and ACT are worse predictors of a student’s success in college than other measures, such as high school GPA.”
Testing does not always accurately show to a student’s intelligence, therefore, we should not be predicting a student’s success off of a standardized test. One’s GPA should be the only number college should look at because it shows that student’s academic history through their high school journey, and one big test should not undermine that.
Testing should go away for so many reasons but the prime reason being that it’s not accurate, Testing to get into college is a controversial topic. Testing has its benefits and disadvantages for students. The disadvantages outweigh the benefits by a lot. The test creates stress, and anxiety, which is all unnecessary and can take a toll on your mental health and shift your high school life.
– Amelia Dockery, Staff Writer
