2008 Woodie Awards
SAT as an indicator is valuable
Muhlenberg Weekly Executive Board
Issue date: 11/4/04 Section: Op/Ed
- Page 1 of 1
The controversy over the reliability and validity of the SAT has been an ongoing one. The introduction of the newest version of the SAT is supposed to create a more accurate assessment of student's abilites, as well as a better predictor of how well students will do academically in a college environment. Having been subjected to the most recent revisions, including the addition of a writing assessment, the SAT will now be that much more of a powerful tool in aiding admissions officers in choosing accepted students.
The revised version of the SAT is a more powerful tool for assessing applicants as it included a writing section, along with the traditional verbal and math components. By testing students' writing abilities, the SAT examines a broader range of academic skills, thus making for a more accurate test. Regardless of whether or not the new version of the SAT turns out to be a better measure of student's abilities, the fact remains that the SAT is still a standardized test, and it is one of the few tests that can compare students across the nation. GPAs cannot accomplish this, as they are calculated on different scales and with different weighting at every high school. Thus, the SAT is an effective way in which to compare students despite differences in their high school's GPA system.
While the College does require applicants to submit their GPA, prospective students may submit a writing sample in place of SAT scores. This option, while seemingly benign, actually poses many problems. There is no way of knowing that this writing is actually the work of the applicant; a parent or a friend could easily write the submitted paper. This is no comparison to taking a standardized test in a controlled environment in a set time period where cheating is highly unlikely.
The tests carry weight and are an indicator of ability to take a test in general, which is, of course, a skill that all college students must have. The new SAT is a beneficial tool for determining a student's appropriateness for the College that should not be forfeited to a submitted essay.
The revised version of the SAT is a more powerful tool for assessing applicants as it included a writing section, along with the traditional verbal and math components. By testing students' writing abilities, the SAT examines a broader range of academic skills, thus making for a more accurate test. Regardless of whether or not the new version of the SAT turns out to be a better measure of student's abilities, the fact remains that the SAT is still a standardized test, and it is one of the few tests that can compare students across the nation. GPAs cannot accomplish this, as they are calculated on different scales and with different weighting at every high school. Thus, the SAT is an effective way in which to compare students despite differences in their high school's GPA system.
While the College does require applicants to submit their GPA, prospective students may submit a writing sample in place of SAT scores. This option, while seemingly benign, actually poses many problems. There is no way of knowing that this writing is actually the work of the applicant; a parent or a friend could easily write the submitted paper. This is no comparison to taking a standardized test in a controlled environment in a set time period where cheating is highly unlikely.
The tests carry weight and are an indicator of ability to take a test in general, which is, of course, a skill that all college students must have. The new SAT is a beneficial tool for determining a student's appropriateness for the College that should not be forfeited to a submitted essay.