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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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In the web article, “Behind the SAT: The Good and Bad of the 2016 Redesign,” Bidwell discusses the pros and the cons of the new 2016 SAT. The changes of the SAT are attempts to better align the test with the concepts that are taught in schools. The changes also reflect the desire for students to choose to take the SAT over the ACT. For the SAT, the focus of mainly math and English is a method to prepare students not only for college but also beyond it. Nevertheless, a con with the SAT becoming easier is that it has become a race to the bottom.

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Annotated Bibliography Coleman, David. The. “The SAT Standardized College Entrance Test Is Undergoing Sweeping Revisions, Including Optional Essay Portion and No Penalties for Wrong Answers. (March 5). ” Ebscohost, 6 Mar. 2014, widgets.ebscohost.com/prod/customerspecific/mel/auth.php?database=ebscoprofile-pov.

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Over time, the SAT’s format has changed to better measure a student’s ability and potential. Excessive stress is put on students to do well on the SAT’s, and causes them unnecessary strain. As college admissions become more and more competitive, the need for higher test scores has increased, despite fatal flaws in the SAT test itself. Although the SAT is used by thousands of colleges and taken by millions of students, many students' scores do not reflect their true abilities, and therefore the SAT test is useless.

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Standard testing is a very controversial and important subject because it deals with the progression of the American education system. The practice of these assessments has been highly scrutinized not only for the way it has changed the format of classrooms, but also for its accuracy, pressure, and abundance. In 2001, standardized testing became federally mandated through the No Child Left Behind Act by former president George Bush Jr. According to research from the Council of the Great City Schools, students have been taking “an average of 113 tests from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade” (K. Hefling). These numbers have increased to the point where parents have opted for their children to not attend standardized exams.

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In 1942, the SAT was used for all applicants. “In 1948, the SAT was becoming the basic college admission device for millions” (“A Brief History of the SAT”). 80% of schools still require a standardized test score for acceptance (Blaf). However, this percentage is going down and as it does colleges will rely more a grades, which are more precise calculations of

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A students ACT and SAT score is just one portion of many college applications. Colleges and Universities look at GPA, an essay, and letter of recommendations to determine a student’s admission. Many people believe that the importance of the ACT or SAT score depends on the college and what other things the student has to offer (Drinkworth, 2015). The ACT and SAT tests can be an important factor in college admissions because they tests are on all subject areas, math, reading, writing, and science. Since each area is graded separately and the score is later averaged out it shows how the students does overall in the general

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SATS and ACTS have been used for numerous years as a way to gauge a student’s academic success while in college. Students have the choice which test they would prefer to take and most colleges do not prefer one test over the other. There are a few key differences between the SAT and ACT, which may make one test more suitable than the other for those taking the tests. Many studies have proven that the SAT and ACT are not the best judge of future success, and that colleges should focus their applications more on past grades and accomplishments to decide which students should be accepted to their university. SATs and ACTs are not an effective measure of college readiness and future academic success.

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Throughout the college admission process, one indicator of admittance stands above all, the SAT. The SAT stands for the Scholastic Achievement Test, which serves as the standard of assessment for colleges throughout the United States. Known for its pervasiveness, the SAT provides a comparative standard for students’ abilities. Although the SAT provides such a benefit, the SAT unexpectedly poses as a problem for college admission officers throughout the nation due to its inherent negative aspects, which stir a controversy among the nation. The question arises, should we keep using the SAT for admitting students into college?

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Standardize test are not flawless instruments for precisely pinpointing what level of prior knowledge and learning a student has acquired without first considering other elements that may or may not be connected to what was cultivated. Information on admission test should correlate with educational experiences acquired from school and home; however, that is not always the case considering: (1) socioeconomic background ;( 2) overall mental and physical health ;( 3) sampling variability from other assessments; (4) unidentified error variance; and (5) motivation and drive. These are just some of the essential components require in order to proclaim the SAT and other forms of assessments as sole heir to the thrown of admissions in terms of validity, reliability and

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A major factor in a student’s future is his or hers ability to perform well on arbitrary standardized tests. This is the “tree” they must climb in order to achieve future success. Although standardized tests like the SAT have been a way of gauging a student’s ability to learn and retain information for years, they are an inaccurate measurement. Being created over 100 years ago, reconsidering the policy of issuing the SATs is crucial.

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The Korean War was a pivotal moment in the history of the United States, marking the first time the country had intervened in a conflict overseas to contain the spread of communism. The war began in 1950 when North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China, invaded South Korea. The U.S. intervened in the war to support South Korea and prevent the spread of communism in the region. The U.S. played a crucial role in the war, providing military and economic aid to South Korea, leading the United Nations forces, and engaging in combat against North Korea and China. The Korean War lasted for three years and ended in a stalemate, but it had a lasting impact on the United States and the world, shaping U.S. foreign policy for decades to come.

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Have you ever wondered if you could just bypass the ACT/SAT and go straight to college? There are many other high schoolers thinking the same. Many students dread taking the ACT/SAT but if we got rid of it you would not be able to see which college is best for you based on how you scored. Many colleges across the world have been toying with the idea of not using tests like the ACT and SAT as part of the admission process. Colleges should not stop using standardized tests as part of the admission process because they have been using them for many decades, they are available to any student worldwide no matter the economic area the student or their family is in, and they allow the student to show what they learned in high school.

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Standardized tests are very common in today’s modern society. They are used as a tool to measure a person’s performance and indicate how their estimated performance will be in a college class. Every year hundreds of students take the ACT or SAT in order to get accepted into their college of choice and to receive scholarships, but they fail to see the problems with these standardized tests. As more and more people take these tests, the national average score falls causing doubt in the extremely important system. This is leading people to question whether or not the ACT and SATs are accomplishing what they were created to do.

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The ACT should not determine whether you get into college or not because some people are not good at timed test. Many students try to prepare for this test, but the truth is they can never be fully prepared. Since people can not be fully prepared a lot of kids stress out and do not do so well. Students may also do poorly when they have bad anxiety.

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Scores on SAT and ACT can help determine a student's entire future. Some colleges won't even look at an applicant's paperwork if the test scores aren't at least average. They depend on test scores to tell them if the student is ready for college. The issue with relying on these test is that the test do not take in the student's personality, discipline and motivation. Some students just can't take test and become ill with the amount of pressure they're given.

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