The SAT: some students study for months to get a good score, while others ignore it completely, not taking it a single time. The truth is, taking the SAT is important, as it can open many opportunities for college.
Many students at FHS want to stay in California, not looking beyond when it comes to college. Whether that is to stay close to family, friends or for cost reasons. Although some East Coast schools can be very expensive, with out-of-state tuition for some public universities exceeding amounts as high as $60,000 a year, this is not the case for all. Additionally, it is possible to get scholarships, reducing the price significantly for some universities.
Taking the SAT is a low-risk, high-reward opportunity. The test will have no negative impact on a student in any case. They can simply decide not to submit their scores or take the test again.
The SAT can be very beneficial to students who believe that their GPA does not reflect their academic abilities. For example, at FHS, teachers create their own syllabus and grade accordingly. There is no specific rule for a grading scale that must be the same across an entire subject. This can create difficulties, since students can experience being in a more difficult class compared to others, depending on their assigned teacher and class. A result of this may be getting lower grades in certain classes. These grades don’t necessarily represent them as a student, yet they lower the student’s GPA.
The SAT ensures that each student is assessed by the same standard. The test can vary slightly, but the variation is nowhere near as big as the differences in grading scales for classes. Students who feel underrepresented by their GPA should highly consider studying and taking it, so that their score can give them more opportunities at universities they may not have gotten with just their GPA.
It is important to look beyond schools that don’t require the SAT, as regret could very well set in, especially after receiving college decision letters. Schools in Florida are a very good example of fairly priced, excellent universities that require the SAT. The SAT is a large factor in students’ acceptance into the universities, and the average yearly costs are some of the lowest for out-of-state students. To give a couple examples, Florida State has an out-of-state tuition of less than $19,000, an average SAT score between 1240 and 1390 and is ranked 51 out of 1,613 for the best colleges in America. The University of Florida has an out-of-state tuition of $28,000, an average SAT score between 1300 and 1480 and is ranked 30 out of 1,613 for best colleges in America. Although these SAT scores are not easy to obtain, constant studying and taking multiple attempts throughout junior and early senior year can make them attainable for many students.
Taking the SAT is very important; it can help students significantly in the outcome of their future after high school. It may not always open doors, but it will never close any, making it a very important test to consider taking.
