CollegeBoard’s recent announcement of its intent to revise the notorious SAT test has sent a ripple of intrigue around Ridge. This change is set to take place starting in the spring of 2016, which is when current freshmen will be expected to take the test.
The SAT is being stripped down; no longer will there be obscure vocabulary words, nor will there be deductions for incorrect answers. There will also be components of history and science mixed in throughout the test. The infamous essay is now optional, with the overall SAT score reverting back to 1600. Collegeboard’s claim is that the new SAT will more adequately measure the worth of a student’s education, focusing on vocabulary and mathematical skills that may actually have a bearing on one’s adulthood.
Word on the street is that the SAT has been revised in response to the increasing popularity of its main competitor in college application exams, the ACT. There have been public outcries for years that the SAT does not test the student’s natural ability; rather, admirable performance on the SAT requires memorization of seemingly endless lists of vocabulary, quotes, and essay formulas. It has also been argued that the SAT is not fair to lower-income students – The New York Times reports that Americans spend a total of $4.5 billion dollars annually on SAT preparation. When asked about the projected effect of the revised SAT, Jake Lee ’14 comments, “It’ll make better education accessible to more people because it’s more centered around critical thinking than rote memorization.”
How will this affect students at Ridge? Well, for the sophomores, they’ll still continue to take SAT preparatory courses and summer programs designed around the current, more rigorous test. As for the freshmen, they’ll be guinea pigs of a sort, the first to try out a new standardized test; whether they perform well remains unknown. Collin Montag ’17 observes, “Although it may ease stress on a lot of the students taking it, it’s going to raise the bar for the first ones taking it and completely confuse colleges.”
Ironically, there may be increased pressure on students to perform better on what is now perceived to be an easier exam, although that may not turn out to be the case.
Honors English teacher Mr. Minicozzi states, “Every year it seems like they alter some aspect of the SAT to line up with the current educational standards, so for the students’ sake, I hope that this one lasts for a while as not to confuse the students.” Indeed, only time will tell whether the modification of the SAT will level the playing field for students competing to get into their choice colleges.