Pro/con Sat Testing

Pro:

The SAT should be considered a necessary component of college admission criteria. It is a test that accesses the academic ability of a student and is a good indicator of how well he/she will do the first year in college. This is very helpful in terms of college admission and should be used in order to assure that the academically eligible students can get into a college or university of his/her choice.

First off, the SAT is a standardized test, meaning everyone in high school will be taking a test that is equal across the board. This test focuses on mathematical and verbal ability, two very important components for success in college. Because all applicants take the SAT, it enables colleges to look at each one on an equal playing field. For example, there are some cases of grade inflation at schools making it so that grades are merely letters and don't necessarily reflect the student's ability.

Additionally, the newly added writing component tests the students' writing ability, which one cannot do without when it comes to higher education. If a person cannot write well while in high school, he/she will have a rude awakening in colleges when several term papers are due during the same week.

Not only does the SAT reflect how well one is to do in college, but it also puts every applicant on the same level academically. This gives the colleges an easier time when it comes to admissions because they don't have to take so much time to look through everyone's full application. Also, the standardized test allows them to set a standard (eg. a score of 1275 or above) on which to measure each student.

Con:

The SAT should not be considered a necessary component of college admission criteria. By no means is it a test that accesses the academic ability of a student, nor is it a good indicator of how well he/she does the first year in college. This standardized test doesn't prove anything about a person's abilities and is only detrimental to those taking it.

According to three national surveys and hundred of studies conducted by colleges, the SAT neither helps colleges and universities improve their admission decisions nor helps the applicants choose school at which they will be successful. The SAT is biased against minorities and those of low income. For example, based on the 2004