As flowers bloom and that sweet scent of summer starts to resurface, the college process reminds Juniors that the tribulations of last season don’t end in April. At the heart of this season lies the beloved SAT and ACT. While these exams do have their fair share of importance, it is often forgotten that they are not the only indicator of one’s future.
The college process is one of the most trying times in a student’s life. The most recurring stresses are those concerning standardized test scores.
“I feel like everyone I talk to is always stressing about scores, whether it be in or out of school”, Junior Olivia Delgado said.
It seems as if from one moment to the next, conversations have shifted from weekend plans to score details and pre-test jitters.
Although Standardized tests play a huge role in the college admission process, many students feel overlooked by the broad spectrum the test relies on to determine one’s readiness.
“I feel like the test doesn’t measure one’s full knowledge as it overlooks creativity and other crucial aspects of a person’s character”, Junior Amanda Perez said.
Grades on the other hand may serve as a better indicator of a student’s potential. Comprehension of knowledge is also demonstrated through good grades, but what differs between test scores and high school grades is that high-stakes tests tend to overlook resilience and habits. These habits may be more useful in real life than any strategies used in standardized testing. A student who is bad at math but keeps studying and working to boost their grade average shows arguably more promise than a student who takes a test once and receives a good math score.
Students often dedicate so much time and effort to Standardized test improvement that they start to base their worth on the score last achieved. Even though the tests only take a few hours to complete, the test preparation alone is a key factor contributing to admission stress.
“My life revolves around SAT with tutoring and testing, I barely have time for myself”, Junior Angelica Asmar said.
Despite its tendency to overlook personality and creativity, standardized testing still plays a huge part in determining one’s future. Test scores have the potential to affect what university a student goes to or a career path one takes. Because of this students feel like their future lies in the hands of that one test score. One test does not determine someone’s full potential and does not indicate a good or bad future.
