SAT Pros And Cons

Many well educated students dread one test in their life. The SAT’s and ACT’s are tests that are taken to show colleges where a person is academically. SAT’s were derived from Army IQ test. In 1923, Carl C. Brigham published a book on the results of the tests called A Study of American Intelligence. The first SAT was administered to high school students in 1926. In 1934, Harvard started using SAT scores for selecting people for scholarships. Then other Ivy League started using the SAT for scholarship tests. In 1959, the ACT was formed. The University of California began to require applicants to take the SAT in 1960 (“History of the SAT”). Colleges began requiring the SAT’s or ACT’s just to enter college. Students take tests throughout their school careers and then have to take a four-hour standardized test just to further their education. The SAT’s and ACT’s should not have to be taken to determine what college a person gets into.
Studies have shown that the reliance on the SAT’s favor wealthy white people over other applicants. If SAT’s became optional, the number of black people admitted would rise from 8.3 percent to 11.3 percent (Jaschik). The Latino percentage would go from 7.9 to 10.6 (Jaschik). Not only does it discriminate against minorities, it also discriminates against poor people. Data shows that poorer people test lower than wealthier people. Some say it could be because they do not have the money to afford the help of a tutor or books (Lobosco). Some of the less fortunate may not be able to take the test because it is too costly. Therefore, there are not a lot of people from poorer families or minorities in college because they get judged by a test score rather than their work ethic or grades in