Why would you even take the SAT?

In this hyper-competitive college admissions cycle, it's not a surprise that some of you are jaded, cynical, and feel that the system is rigged. There is some truth to that but it is not entirely accurate.

An aspiring HS student interested in gaining admission to a top school would take either the SAT or ACT because it's another relevant data point to one's holistic evaluation. Some colleges like MIT and Georgetown, all Florida and George state schools, and all US Military academies require it so without it you will not qualify to apply to about 20 good schools.

For top colleges like Ivys, Elites, and Top LACs, a high SAT/ACT score is a threshold qualifier that reduces the risk for the admissions officers to make a judgment call. If someone has a 99% percentile test score, it means that either they are naturally gifted learners or dedicated grinders who know when they have to focus and have a credential under their belt.

99% of colleges felt that during the pandemic, many low-income, first-generation, and marginalized folk were disproportionately affected and didn't have the support and resources to properly prep for these examinations. This is the impetus of attempting to level the admissions playing field by allowing such students to apply without test scores and use the additional information section/essay/questions to address how they were negatively affected or compromised during this global health crisis.

Colleges admitted many such applicants without test scores and to me that's a big win for creating equity, diversity, and access to higher education. Some well-resourced applicants also were admitted into top schools as long as they had other pieces of evidence to support their intellectual vitality, and potential to thrive in a college environment while aligning with institutional priorities of the school.

I do not know 1 single university representative, professional college consultant, or high school counselor who would ever say that having a high SAT or ACT test score is the key to your future. That's a fallacy and a lie. No one I know has ever said.

Rather, they all strongly advocate that if you are someone who has the time, resources, and tenacity to achieve a high test score, most colleges will consider that as a net positive thing on your academic narrative. Within the same breath they would also emphatically state that if your academic record is impressive with top grades, course rigor, and evidence of intellectual vitality, then having a high SAT or ACT is redundant and not a critical piece of information they need to render a decision. However, if 2 applicants are pretty much the same across 98 data points and one has a 1550 SAT and the other no test score, then the test score is a tiebreaker.

I think the question most people want to be answered is not whether or not they should take the SAT or ACT but, what should they focus on as 9th or 10th graders so that they can maximize the outcome of applying to top colleges.

More than 95% of high school seniors applying to colleges will tell you that they were not competitive enough because they had very poor college counseling and no one told them what to do and how to prepare for this rite of passage. The lucky 5% most likely came from generational wealth or had the financial resources to live in the best zip codes in the country (world) and attend the very best Preschools, Grammar and Middle Schools, and the best Private and selective charter schools. Their parents put them on a 13-year college admissions plan that started from the first day they entered a classroom.

I think it's a fair topic to discuss how unfair college admissions are in America because it primarily favors the wealthy and those who have unfettered access to good information about how to work with what you have.

So good luck to all of you that were dealt a poor hand too late in the game. But this is a very big complicated problem for many people to work on and solve. There are no shortcuts unfortunately so you work with what you have and stay positive.

The SAT is not the key to your future. This is TRUE.

BUT it is important, and the importance of this test varies for each individual student. Some benefit from it more than others. I am homeschooled and a lot of homeschoolers are overly intense in the SAT world. Programs like CollegePrep Genius and others make you feel like you must begin studying in 9th grade and score over 1500 to be successful and avoid debt. Scoring high can help you with those things, BUT there are other-and sometimes better-ways to be successful and avoid debt. Nor do you have to attend Ivies to be a successful person.

For example, I am an excellent student. I have a 4.0, many extracurriculars, and will begin full time community college my senior year. But I am not pushing to attend an Ivy League university even though I could. It wouldn't be the right path. Instead, I am choosing a private university though I am way above their average GPA and SAT score. The reason I chose that school is that I can do what I love. It will best prepare me to open a floral and greenhouse business. AND because I am above their average, I have great chances of full scholarship. No debt and set up for success.

Test-optional is sometimes the best way for many students. Some do terrible on timed test and it doesn't measure their abilities well. The school I mentioned is test-optional. However, as a homeschooler, they encourage me to take the SAT. Still not required but I took a practice test and my score was already above their average score of accepted students. So why not? It was worth my time.

Like I said, it is different for every student. My best advice is to take a practice test first, see if it's worth the effort based on the score of where you want to go. It all comes down to how much time you can invest and if it will be worth it.