To know Does SAT accurately measure college readiness….Read on this article…!
SAT assessment tests are standardized college admission exams. Most colleges include a significant portion of SAT grades in the college admission aggregate. The original purpose of these exams is to identify students’ academic weaknesses and strengths.
The resulting report from SAT validity study confirms that: SAT scores add 15% to 20% value in accurately measure a student’s college readiness. SAT helps us accurately predict a student’s college performance, retention, and academic abilities.
What do you need to know about SAT?
SAT stands for the Scholastic aptitude test. It’s a standardized test, SAT test scores help colleges make an admission decision. SAT actually isn’t a compulsory exam for college admission. However, its significance will make you take SAT exam immediately.
If you are targeting a top college, SAT will help you stand out in college applications. Admission officers always look for SAT scores. There is a high chance of you getting interviewed because you included your SAT scores.
SAT covers reading, writing, language, and math assessments. On average you have forty seconds to solve every question.
What does the SAT really measure?
A major misconception regarding SAT is that it’s an IQ test, but it’s not. The thought behind conducting SAT was to identify students’ talent regardless of their academic achievement.
The college board that introduced SAT confirms that: The SAT is used to measure ‘developed reasoning’, something far-related to academics and intelligence. Developed reasoning is the measure of student acquired abilities inside the school and outside.
Another misconception about SAT was that it measures students’ innate abilities. This concept too has lost its significance as there is no sign of innate testing on SAT.
In the current era, colleges prefer SAT because it helps colleges compare students according to the required admission criteria. Your SAT scores show your academic attributes and help colleges make admission decisions.
Is SAT a fair representation of academic ability?
No, SAT isn’t a fair representation of students’ academic ability. It only determines student retention in college and predicts possible career paths. People’s objections to SAT depend on a number of factors that range from assessment procedures to its use in college admissions.
People emphasize removing SAT from admission applications because it gives an edge to students with wealthier backgrounds. An average American thought on SAT is: Wealthier people are able to pass exams easily as they have access to a number of resources(i.e. Trained tutors, powerful institutions, etc) than a normal American teen. There exist persistent scores disparities. College board data report 2106 confirms that: Students whose parents earn $2 million annually score an average of 1155 on SAT while the child of parents with median-income scores barely 1000.
Another factor reflecting SAT objections is that: The SAT clearly accesses verbal and mathematical skills only. The test only focuses on the assessment of these two areas of education. Your SAT scores estimate your ability in these disciplines only.
Grades or SAT scores, which one is important for college admission?
Most obviously, SAT scores have won the match in predicting college success. But that doesn’t reduce the value of a good GPA. The difference exists only because GPAs are the measurement of your success within a high school, while in SAT you compete internationally.
Admission officers support their biased opinion towards SAT with the following statements:
- Students with higher SAT scores tend to get higher grades in colleges.
- Higher SAT scores predict students’ longer retention in colleges.
- Taking SAT exams reflects students’ desire to get enrolled in this specific college.
- Students with higher SAT scores have demonstrated proven academic abilities throughout their college years.
Similar arguments come from the opponents’ sides. A few statements are listed below:
- Higher SAT scores can be achieved through in-depth preparation that only the rich can afford.
- Higher SAT scores only reflect a student’s wealth.
- There are colleges that accept students with no SAT. The student there are also performing very well.
- There exist no clear relation between higher SAT scores and enhanced college performance.
Ultimately, it depends on the college you are applying for. Some prefer high school GPAs, others prefer High SAT scores.
Are SAT exams compulsory for colleges?
The top-level colleges have made SAT test submission a requirement. They demand students to pass SAT test in order to submit admission applications.
Some colleges have made it optional for students not to submit SAT scores. They offer the flexibility of not submitting SAT scores even if you have taken SAT exam. They consider a combined average of GPAs and SAT for admission processing.
There is also a state-level category of colleges that do not requires SAT submission at all. These colleges admit students based on their high school GPAs.
Can I get into a good college with a low GPA but a high SAT?
Yes, In 2022, there is a high possibility of getting admitted to a good college if you have performed outstandingly well on SAT. Admission officers value SAT as they indicate higher aptitudes.
How good the SAT is at predicting college success?
Studies have shown that the graduation rate for SAT participants between 1100 to 1600 is 83%, and from 900 to 1090 is 81%. That indicates nearly all SAT participants were successful in college.
SAT scores have a slightly higher edge than GPAs in predicting college success. But the relationship isn’t much strong. This indicates that SAT does help us predict college success but not much accurately.
What is students’ point of view on standardized admission tests?
There are two major points of view from students’ sides to discuss. Why do they support SAT, and why they don’t?
Why students support SAT testing:
SAT tests help us improve our English reading and writing skills.
SAT makes us understand numeric problems well.
Better scholarship offerings.
It makes up for lower GPAs.
Why students don’t support SAT testing:
Test scores reflect family wealth.
SAT scores are persistently race and class-biased.
Some colleges overvalue SAT scores.
Students claim that SAT testing places unhealthy stress on their minds.
Conclusion
SAT helps colleges to compare students for admission processing. It adds value in predicting students’ success. It indicates all necessary attributes required for college readiness. However, a study shows that the correlation between higher SAT scores and college readiness isn’t much strong. SAT can’t accurately measure college readiness nor did it can estimate students’ success well.
