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Argumentative Essay: SAT Vs. SAT In Schools

1338 Words6 Pages

No matter the college one chooses to attend, a national standardized test is required for entrance into most universities. The two tests that are issued to high school students across the country are the SAT and the ACT. For many years, the SAT was considered the “gold standard test” (Lewin). However, in recent years, a stark change appears to be coming to the table. The ACT is being taken far more frequently than the SAT. In 2015, 1.92 million students took the ACT, where only 1.67 million took the SAT. The spike in ACT test takers can be widely contributed to the 19 states that issue the ACT as a state-funded test for all high school juniors. Mississippi is among the states that participate in giving the ACT to juniors for free. Therefore, …show more content…

Before 2007, many universities required the SAT as your official document for admissions purposes, with the ACT being included for other application information if it was asked of. However, all universities now accept both. Ivy League universities were some of the first universities to make the change to allow both tests as the primary standardized test submitted for scholarship and admission purposes. It is stated that one-third of the applicants at Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania only submit ACT scores when they apply (University Language). The students attending the most prestigious schools in the nation—schools were ACT scores of 33 and 34 are ‘average’—are only taking the ACT. The ACT is overshadowing the SAT and will only continue to do so as years go on. It should undoubtedly be the only standardized test accepted at Ole …show more content…

The class offered helpful pointers in the English and reading sections, tips to succeed in the science section, and refreshers on math content we may have forgotten throughout the years. By taking this class every day for a whole semester, my scores in all four sections of the ACT improved markedly, with my scores in math and science improving the most. The high school I attended is not the only high school in my area that offers ACT preparatory courses. Other high schools and the university in Cape Girardeau, MO—Southeast Missouri State University—also do so. Students in Southeast Missouri are bred to take and excel in the ACT, not the SAT. This is not unlike many other students across the country. Because of the stress put on mastering the ACT nowadays, there should be no need for the SAT. The ACT’s use of a time limit for time management skills and non-penalization for wrong answers is simply the best form of standardized testing. The ACT should be the only standardized test at all universities, not just the University of

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