Anthony Thai ’13, Shreya Reddy ’13
Standardized testing should not be weighted so heavily in the college process as it is both an unnecessary burden to high school students and fails to provide a fair medium for evaluating the academic success of applicants. They add to already overbearing workloads and, instead of determining whether a student is equipped for the academic rigor of a certain school, the tests only measure a student’s test-taking ability. Although these tests certainly are useful, they should not be a critical factor in college admissions because of their ineffectiveness and the burden they pose on students.
Standardized tests are overemphasized by parents and peers, putting enormous amounts on pressure on the shoulders of sixteen and seventeen-year-old kids. The stress only increases as students feel the pressure to devote time and money into standardized test preparation. Bobbi Stone ’12 notes, “There is a ton of emphasis on standardized testing from both parents and peers, especially peers. I remember this one girl had a binder the size of about two sophomore history textbooks full of SAT materials.” The average school day is already strenuous, and many students must also find time in their overwhelming schedules to learn the precious test strategies of their “top-notch tutors.” This extra time must come from somewhere;more often than not, decreases the time students spend pursuing activities they excel in and enjoy, activities that will truly help them in the collegiate world and beyond. Jay Achuff ’13 articulated it best when he stated,”[Standardized testing] should still be used as a measure [of academic ability], but not to the extent that it currently is.”
In addition, standardized tests such as the SATs and ACTs are “not good measurements of abilities alone” and “need to be used in conjunction with classroom work,” according to Episcopal’s Director of College Guidance, Matt Essman. This makes sense, considering that high school classwork reflects a student’s ability for three and a half years whereas the SATs and ACTs reflect work done in three and half hours. Furthermore, the SAT essay is unreliably scored, making the test even less effective. Not only are students “uncertain about who’s grading their essay,” according to Essman, but also the essay grader spends very little time on each student response and may factor his or her own bias into the question. Moreover, standardized tests are “not as much about learning material,” stated Essman, and “strategies tend to matter more than knowledge.” This impels students to spend time and money on books and tutors, meaning that the test more accurately measures students’ test-taking abilities (and arguably the amount of money they are willing and able to spend on preparation) than their actual proficiency in the material. On top of all that, “SATs and ACTS tend to fall on the worst weekends,” said Essman, “especially after exams and prom.” Therefore, with bad timing, unreliable grading, and general inability to assess students accurately, standardized tests have proven extremely ineffective and should play a much less prevalent role in the college admission process.