By: PAIGE FOSTER
Staff Writer
Colleges and universities across the country have declared themselves “test-optional”, which is potentially the most celebrated news to arise out of the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this fact, many students continue to take optional exams such as the SAT and ACT. Why?
#1: The fact that these tests are optional means that students who choose to take them may be seen as more committed.
Of course, any truly devoted student would take the SAT. They would have no trouble scraping together the $50-120 of test fees, registration fees, essay fees, and answer service fees. The student would be willing to multiply all of these expenses by two if they wanted to take the SAT twice (as recommended), or by four if the student also wanted to take the ACT twice. This would be no problem. Clearly, only the true slackers would pass up such a deal.
If a student happened to find the cost troubling, they could always turn to fee waivers – the great white hope of low-income, high-achieving students. Nevermind that the students may have to travel to find an available test center, adding hotel and gas costs to the experience, or that they must rely on free online resources to prepare where others have personalized tutoring. These factors are negligible. After all, aren’t hotels and gas stations known for their affordable prices? And can any personalized tutor really be better than the free online practice tests and advice gleaned from Youtube?
#2: Test scores may predict a student’s performance in college.
The SAT and ACT are meant to predict a student’s success in college, and thus the testing process is similar enough to the college environment to be an accurate predictor of student success.
During the SAT or ACT, quiet develops a tangible weight in the testing room. The students remain dead silent for roughly four hours as they strain to finish each section in the allotted time. The only communal aspect of these tests is the sense of hurry – the kind which is only otherwise found at airports and track meets. The SAT and ACT officially test Math, Science, Reading, and Writing skills, but they unofficially test composure under pressure and the mental stamina to sit still for hours on end.
Similarly, the college learning environment is presented as collaborative, rich, and best suited for the curious and the unique. Students are encouraged to pursue their specific interests and develop their strengths in practical ways that will allow them to achieve excellence in real-life careers. There is also a heavy focus on engaging with one’s peers and learning from others.
While collaborative learning, individuality, and flexibility – all emphasized in college – are stringently impaired in the testing environment, the subsequent scores one receives are nonetheless considered a reflection of college success. Why? Well, because the College Board said so.
#3: The SAT and ACT make a student’s application more complete.
A student cannot be evaluated solely by their remarkable grades, leadership abilities, work experience, ability to overcome difficult family issues as detailed in their admissions essays, or their focused passions. No, this is not enough.
A number is needed to quantify the worth of the student.
#4: Students feel the need to take these tests to be seen as competitive
This is, for the majority of high school students, the true reason they are choosing to take the SAT and ACT. Students, and especially high-achieving ones, often fall into the trap of believing that they need to take the ACT or the SAT because it makes them look more committed, likely to succeed, or that it rounds out their application. These things may be true to an extent, but they are not universally true.
Some people thrive in the testing atmosphere. Those students should absolutely be permitted (and encouraged) to take both the SAT and the ACT, but the fact remains that their score should be the most minimally considered item on their application. This is because there are several stark, unpleasant realities that students, educators, and testing companies must acknowledge. For example, some kids cannot afford to take these tests even with fee waivers, and they often don’t have the access to or knowledge of the costly tutoring programs which many wealthier students enroll in. Other students may simply be overwhelmed by the time constraints and overarching pressures of the testing environment.
The root of the issue is that students are told there is only one standard by which to measure success, when in fact success is incredibly subjective and extends far beyond the world of academic achievement. This is why colleges and universities absolutely must perpetuate their test-optional policies. We, as students, must utilize our voices, our stories, and our platforms to put an end to the lies that proliferate under mandatory testing policies – the lie that tests say more about us than our friends and teachers and transcripts; the lie that they’re accessible to everyone; and, most importantly, the lie that a student’s very identity can be discerned from their performance.