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Avery Brown
Mrs. Moore
AP English 3
26 April 2015
College Acceptance
Over the past couple years, college admissions offices have put more and
more of an emphasis on students ACT and SAT scores for college admittance
(Unigo). Although some Americans believe the ACT and SAT tests are fundamental
in evaluating students education and readiness for a higher education in college, I
believe one test cannot equally measure those two aspects because it is not an
overall view of students capabilities.
Originally, standardized tests like the SAT were established in the 1930s as
an opportunity for lower to middle class students to have an education at Ivy
League schools. The SAT was created as a scholarship test that allowed equal
opportunity for academic success for every student willing to try the vigorous test
(Sheffer). Unfortunately, standardized tests have become not only a means for
higher education, but also a stumbling block many students have to conquer just to
receive admittance to the university of their choice. Many critics have found that
because college admittance is based on ACT and SAT scores, secondary and high
school teachers have begun teaching to the test instead of teaching life skills and
important lessons students should be learning through schooling. Therefore,
schooling does not teach students to achieve goals and follow their dreams, but

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rather it is just a tool teachers use to help students pass the tests to move onto
more schooling in college (Baker).
There are many disadvantages for students when college acceptance is
based on their SAT and ACT scores. For one, not all students come from middle-class
or well-off families. Because of this, low-income students do not have the same
opportunities as upper-class students. For example, low-income students have a
greater chance of growing up and going to a poorer school because that is the only
place their parent(s) or guardians could find work (Baker). Students with less money
dont have the opportunity to take test retakes because their families dont have the
money to pay for the expensive ACT and SAT tests. Those students also cant afford
the outrageously expensive test preps for the standardized tests they need to take
to get into college. Many low-income students choose not to take the required tests
to get into college because they dont want to feel discouraged if they dont get into
the college of their choice (College Applicants Sweat The SATs). Inevitably, lowincome students do not have the money to prepare themselves for the challenging
standardized tests that are the defining factor of whether or not theyll get to
pursue their future education. Generational poverty occurs so frequently in families
that children have begun to embrace it and accept the fact that they wont be able
to achieve the same level as education as their privileged peers. Critics have also
said that the SAT and ACT are a better representation of how much money the
family makes and how quickly the student is at test-taking (College Applicants
Sweat the SATs). This should not be the case.
Society, as a whole, puts a lot of pressure on students on the
importance of getting a good education and succeeding in life. Many students feel
overwhelmed by the pressure teachers, parents, and peers put on them when it

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comes to standardized test scores. Although Tomas Rochon says, test scores dont
predict the potential success of future students, (Rochon) I believe they actually do
because for most students, their test scores determine which colleges they are
admitted into. Testing has a tendency to kill a persons self-worth because it has the
ability to determine the rest of their future education (Baker). Inevitably, students
become too nervous to take the test because of the possibility of bad results for the
outcome (Rochon). This can be true in anyones case. Whether or not the student is
gifted academically, everyone still experiences the same emotions and pressures as
everyone else. John Fraire, vice President for student affairs and enrollment at
Washington State University, believes requiring standardized test scores (ACT and
SAT) for college acceptance indirectly ends up discouraging students who have
great potential in being successful in college and later in life (College Applicants
Sweat the SATs). Too much lies on the line for students to not take the
standardized tests seriously, so they end up pouring everything they have into one
test that determines the rest of their future education. This behavior has the ability
of producing horrific outcomes such as anxiety, self-worth issues, and chemical
depression: three very serious medical issues that students should not have to
experience because of one minuscule test.
Another disadvantage universities need to consider when using students ACT
and SAT scores as acceptance requirements is the actual reliability of the tests.
Former Dean of Admissions for Bates College, William Hiss, believes using the ACT
and SAT as one tool to measure everyones educational capabilities isnt reliable
because everyones minds think and learn differently (Sheffer). Everyone was
created uniquely different with his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Therefore,
one test does not have the ability to equally measure everyones educational

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capabilities. Emily Shlapak, senior at India Hills High School in Oakland, New Jersey
furthers this point when she says, Theres a lot of pressure for a single test, and it
simply tests how students can do under a time constraint (Peligri). While its true
that some students succeed under pressure, I think its safe to say theres a
majority that cringe at the thought of taking a 3-4 hour test. Another high school
senior, Olivia Falcigno from Amity High School in Woodbridge Connecticut, says, In
an ideal world, there should be no number that represents one persons
intelligence (Peligri). Intelligence is based on so many things in life, so taking a test
that only tests four subjects is incredibly inaccurate and unreliable.
Instead of college admission offices using standardized tests as an indicator
of students success in high school, they should look at their GPA all the way
through freshman to senior year. GPA is a better indicator of students educational
capabilities for three reasons. The first one is work ethic. A students ability to get
through college with passing grades is established on their work ethic. Good grades
throughout high school exemplifies good work ethic because the students have to
work hard to get the grades they think they deserve. The second reason why
college admissions offices should base acceptance off students GPAs is because a
GPA is a much longer time span than a 3-hour test. Any student can go into an ACT
or SAT test and wing it and do well but not everyone can keep their grades up over
the course of four years. The last reason is that building a good GPA is a goal
everyone can work for and achieve. Although it is true that all schools are different,
I believe building a good GPA is always possible no matter the circumstance
(Peligri). Unlike the ACT or SAT, with the help of free school tutoring and teachers
assistance, any student can improve their GPA if they work for it. According to
William Hiss, former Dean of admissions and vice President of Bates college, A

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pattern of hard work, discipline, and curiosity in high school shows up as highly
predictive, in contrast to what they do in three to four hours on a particular
Saturday morning in a testing room (College Applicants Sweat the SATs).
These three traits are so much more reliable than test scores from a standardized
test.
The majority of colleges require standardized test scores for admittance to
their college, but there are a few test-optional schools that have decided to get rid
of the ultimatum for obvious reasons. As of today, 800 universities out of 3,000
have decided to become test-optional (College Applicants Sweat the SATs).
These 800 universities made the decision to change for two reasons: test scores
distort the colleges applicant pool and students feel more comfortable not having
to send in their test scores. Thomas Rochon, the President of Ithaca College,
decided to allow students to be accepted into Ithaca without a standardized test
score because requiring test scores distorts the colleges application pool and
admissions acceptance decisions (Rochon). Rochon was well aware that test scores
were only allowing some students into his university, while keeping other students
out. Test-optional schools also came to the realization that students dont feel
comfortable sending in their test scores and often wont do it in fear of rejection.
Because of this, those schools allow students to send in their high school GPAs
instead of their ACT or SAT score (College Applicants Sweat the SATs). Many
schools that are test-optional have begun basing their acceptance criteria on
students activities, pieces of writing, and their GPAs in high school (Peligri). These
three things are a much better indicator of how well the student will do in college,
and hopefully succeed later in life. Not only are test-optional schools becoming
more popular, there is evidence that proves their popularity is valid and for good

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reason. A study was done by Robert Shaeffer, public education director of FairTest,
which included 123,000 students at 33 colleges over the course of eight years. The
study proved that, test-optional admissions improves diversity and does not
undermine academic quality (College Applicants Sweat the SATs). Testoptional schools strive for equal opportunities for all students and the same
academic quality as schools that require a test score for admittance. His conclusion
is simple. He found that there is little to no difference in students academic success
between a test submitter and a student who chose not to submit a test score
(College Applicants Sweat the SATs), and all students should be treated fairly
and with the same respect. Through his study, Schaeffer also came to realize that
non-test takers actually succeeded in college and admissions officers wouldnt have
been able to witness it if the student took the required standardized test, scored
poorly, and wasnt accepted into college (College Applicants Sweat the SATs).
More colleges need to become test-optional universities so more students like those
can have the opportunity at a better education.
As I mentioned earlier, one truth we can all agree on is that everyone should
be treated equally and with the same respect. This truth is violated in regards to
schools basing their college admittance primarily off of students ACT and SAT
scores, because it is not an overall view of a students academic success, but rather
it just tests how well a student is at test-taking and memorizing information they
learned the night before. Universities need to begin realizing that these
standardized tests are doing more harm than good. Therefore, college admission
offices should begin using students activities, characteristics, and high school GPA
as criteria to determine if he/she is a good fit for the chosen college.

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Works Cited
Baker, Russell. School vs. Education. New York: The New York Times Company,
1975. Print.
College Applicants Sweat The SATs. Perhaps They Shouldnt. NPR, 18 Feb. 2014.
Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
Peligri, Justin. No, the SAT Is Not Required. More Colleges Join Test-Optional Train.
USA TODAY College. N.P.07 July 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
Rochon, Thomas. The Case Against the SAT. US News. US News and World Report,
6 Sept. 2013. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
Sheffer, Sarah. Do ACT and SAT Scores Really Matter? New Study Says They
Shouldnt. PBS. PBS, 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
Unigo. How Important are Test Scores to College Applications? US News. US News
and World Report, 14 Dec. 2011. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.